Narrative:

I would like to report a near midair collision which occurred on aug/sat/97, at about XA45 am. I had been on an IFR flight plan from blf to N71 at FL190 in my piper aerostar. I had made several requests to descend as I was showing less than 20 mins to my destination. At about 10 mins from N71 and still at 16000 ft, I elected to cancel IFR and descend, as excellent VFR conditions prevailed. At this point, I was communicating with ZNY and as I recall, on 132.2. The controller acknowledged my cancellation and offered VFR advisories and to remain on my same squawk. I accepted his offer. He almost immediately called 2 O'clock traffic which I never saw but was later called clear of. He then called 12 O'clock opposite direction traffic at I believe 7 mi. He also made the call to that same traffic, an IFR commuter which I think was a jetstream 31. I reported no contact. He then called the traffic at 3 mi and asked my altitude. I was in a rapid descent through about 11000 ft. At some point through these communications, I remember the controller clearing the commuter to 9000 ft. I still didn't have the traffic in sight, nor did he have me in sight. The controller asked my altitude again and I told him 9700 ft. He replied that my traffic was 12 O'clock position, 1 mi, and also descending through 9700 ft. I then saw the other airplane. The fact that he had his landing lights on may have made the difference in seeing him in time. I called the traffic in sight as I made a 60 degree turn to the left. As the jetstream went out of my sight because of my bank, I saw him begin a turn to his left. I am convinced that without these immediate turns, there would have been a collision, and if not, a miss by mere ft. I did not say anything to the controller, nor do I believe the jetstream captain did. The controller then handed the other plane off to dulles approach and I think may have made a quick, couple word reference to the encounter. He never said anything to me about it. In retrospect, I believe that I gave up any expectations for absolute traffic separation when I canceled IFR. However, I also believe the controller failed in his responsibility for the following reasons. First, the other airplane was still, I assume, on an IFR flight plan and also in center control and thus entitled to adequate traffic separation. Second, we were both on individual squawk codes and in communication with the same controller. Third, neither airplane was ever given a heading change, altitude restr, or any suggestion as to possible avoidance tactics.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA60 ACFT IN DSCNT TO DEST HAD JUST CANCELED IFR BUT IN CTL AND COM WITH ATC. CTLR ADVISED OF ACR TFC DSNDING TO SAME ALT. BOTH RPTR AND OTHER ACFT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: I WOULD LIKE TO RPT A NEAR MIDAIR COLLISION WHICH OCCURRED ON AUG/SAT/97, AT ABOUT XA45 AM. I HAD BEEN ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM BLF TO N71 AT FL190 IN MY PIPER AEROSTAR. I HAD MADE SEVERAL REQUESTS TO DSND AS I WAS SHOWING LESS THAN 20 MINS TO MY DEST. AT ABOUT 10 MINS FROM N71 AND STILL AT 16000 FT, I ELECTED TO CANCEL IFR AND DSND, AS EXCELLENT VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED. AT THIS POINT, I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ZNY AND AS I RECALL, ON 132.2. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY CANCELLATION AND OFFERED VFR ADVISORIES AND TO REMAIN ON MY SAME SQUAWK. I ACCEPTED HIS OFFER. HE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY CALLED 2 O'CLOCK TFC WHICH I NEVER SAW BUT WAS LATER CALLED CLR OF. HE THEN CALLED 12 O'CLOCK OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT I BELIEVE 7 MI. HE ALSO MADE THE CALL TO THAT SAME TFC, AN IFR COMMUTER WHICH I THINK WAS A JETSTREAM 31. I RPTED NO CONTACT. HE THEN CALLED THE TFC AT 3 MI AND ASKED MY ALT. I WAS IN A RAPID DSCNT THROUGH ABOUT 11000 FT. AT SOME POINT THROUGH THESE COMS, I REMEMBER THE CTLR CLRING THE COMMUTER TO 9000 FT. I STILL DIDN'T HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT, NOR DID HE HAVE ME IN SIGHT. THE CTLR ASKED MY ALT AGAIN AND I TOLD HIM 9700 FT. HE REPLIED THAT MY TFC WAS 12 O'CLOCK POS, 1 MI, AND ALSO DSNDING THROUGH 9700 FT. I THEN SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE. THE FACT THAT HE HAD HIS LNDG LIGHTS ON MAY HAVE MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN SEEING HIM IN TIME. I CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT AS I MADE A 60 DEG TURN TO THE L. AS THE JETSTREAM WENT OUT OF MY SIGHT BECAUSE OF MY BANK, I SAW HIM BEGIN A TURN TO HIS L. I AM CONVINCED THAT WITHOUT THESE IMMEDIATE TURNS, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION, AND IF NOT, A MISS BY MERE FT. I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THE CTLR, NOR DO I BELIEVE THE JETSTREAM CAPT DID. THE CTLR THEN HANDED THE OTHER PLANE OFF TO DULLES APCH AND I THINK MAY HAVE MADE A QUICK, COUPLE WORD REF TO THE ENCOUNTER. HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT IT. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THAT I GAVE UP ANY EXPECTATIONS FOR ABSOLUTE TFC SEPARATION WHEN I CANCELED IFR. HOWEVER, I ALSO BELIEVE THE CTLR FAILED IN HIS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS. FIRST, THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS STILL, I ASSUME, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND ALSO IN CTR CTL AND THUS ENTITLED TO ADEQUATE TFC SEPARATION. SECOND, WE WERE BOTH ON INDIVIDUAL SQUAWK CODES AND IN COM WITH THE SAME CTLR. THIRD, NEITHER AIRPLANE WAS EVER GIVEN A HEADING CHANGE, ALT RESTR, OR ANY SUGGESTION AS TO POSSIBLE AVOIDANCE TACTICS.

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.