Narrative:

I was flying pittsfield, ma, to portland, me, in cessna 172 hawk xp with 1 passenger. Flight plan, was filed with burlington, departed psf XA00 climbed to 5500 ft MSL, heading direct to keene VOR, activated flight plan, was listening to bradley approach, strobes, navigation lights, and beacon were on. Visibility was unlimited, air smooth. After reaching altitude and crossing mountains out of berkshire valley I adjusted VOR dial to check radial, and checked DME getting ready to call bradley for flight following. I looked out my side window to see 3 military planes coming toward us from about 9 O'clock at an altitude that appeared only slightly lower than ours. I pushed in full power and started a climb, called bradley, gave my position. I hoped they would see this crisis. I didn't ask for help with this, there was no time. The planes passed below us. The first 2 were slightly in front of us, the third was directly under us. I cannot give any accuracy to the closeness in ft. I would estimate 50 plus or minus vertical. I don't have any familiarity with military aircraft, so I can't use size to help determine distance. Whatever it was, it was way too close. After the planes had passed, bradley approach told me to contact ZBW and said I was too far out for bradley. We continued our trip. Contributing to the situation was the fact that while I was adjusting instruments I was monitoring the airspace in front of me but not at my sides, also, I should have been tuned into ZBW not bradley. I was not in a military operations area. I definitely believe that the military planes' pilots should have been aware of our plane and altered their course miles before getting to us. I find it difficult to believe that great big planes like that are allowed to fly VFR without ATC guidance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC. PVT GA PLT HAD INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH FLT OF MIL JETS. RPTR BELIEVES THEY WERE EXTREMELY CLOSE, BUT ALSO STATES SHE DOESN'T HAVE FAMILIARITY WITH MIL ACFT AND DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THEIR DISTANCE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING PITTSFIELD, MA, TO PORTLAND, ME, IN CESSNA 172 HAWK XP WITH 1 PAX. FLT PLAN, WAS FILED WITH BURLINGTON, DEPARTED PSF XA00 CLBED TO 5500 FT MSL, HEADING DIRECT TO KEENE VOR, ACTIVATED FLT PLAN, WAS LISTENING TO BRADLEY APCH, STROBES, NAV LIGHTS, AND BEACON WERE ON. VISIBILITY WAS UNLIMITED, AIR SMOOTH. AFTER REACHING ALT AND XING MOUNTAINS OUT OF BERKSHIRE VALLEY I ADJUSTED VOR DIAL TO CHK RADIAL, AND CHKED DME GETTING READY TO CALL BRADLEY FOR FLT FOLLOWING. I LOOKED OUT MY SIDE WINDOW TO SEE 3 MIL PLANES COMING TOWARD US FROM ABOUT 9 O'CLOCK AT AN ALT THAT APPEARED ONLY SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN OURS. I PUSHED IN FULL PWR AND STARTED A CLB, CALLED BRADLEY, GAVE MY POS. I HOPED THEY WOULD SEE THIS CRISIS. I DIDN'T ASK FOR HELP WITH THIS, THERE WAS NO TIME. THE PLANES PASSED BELOW US. THE FIRST 2 WERE SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF US, THE THIRD WAS DIRECTLY UNDER US. I CANNOT GIVE ANY ACCURACY TO THE CLOSENESS IN FT. I WOULD ESTIMATE 50 PLUS OR MINUS VERT. I DON'T HAVE ANY FAMILIARITY WITH MIL ACFT, SO I CAN'T USE SIZE TO HELP DETERMINE DISTANCE. WHATEVER IT WAS, IT WAS WAY TOO CLOSE. AFTER THE PLANES HAD PASSED, BRADLEY APCH TOLD ME TO CONTACT ZBW AND SAID I WAS TOO FAR OUT FOR BRADLEY. WE CONTINUED OUR TRIP. CONTRIBUTING TO THE SIT WAS THE FACT THAT WHILE I WAS ADJUSTING INSTS I WAS MONITORING THE AIRSPACE IN FRONT OF ME BUT NOT AT MY SIDES, ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TUNED INTO ZBW NOT BRADLEY. I WAS NOT IN A MIL OPS AREA. I DEFINITELY BELIEVE THAT THE MIL PLANES' PLTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF OUR PLANE AND ALTERED THEIR COURSE MILES BEFORE GETTING TO US. I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT GREAT BIG PLANES LIKE THAT ARE ALLOWED TO FLY VFR WITHOUT ATC GUIDANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.