Near midair collision between a beech A36, bonanza, in cruise flight at 7500 ft and a C310 in cruise...

Attributes
ACN	404223
Time
Date	199806
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bpt
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bpt tower : vny
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 36
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 220
ASRS Report	404223
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I took off from aap in houston and was cleared VFR through the class B airspace and instructed to fly the VFR corridor eastbound (along I-10) at or below 2500 ft. Within 5 mins I was cleared to 7500 ft for my trip to OR3. Upon departing class B airspace, ATC gave me a frequency change and VFR squawk. I began to look up beaumont's approach control to resume flight following and tuned the bpt VOR. (I was navigating GPS direct OR3.) my plane is equipped with ryan tcad which alerts the user to traffic in the area. Tcad shows distance between you and target, and altitude of target in reference to you. Tcad uses comparative data between your transponder and other aircraft's transponder. Within a min of tuning bpt approach, tcad gave me a warning of an aircraft at same altitude and 5 mi. I couldn't pick up traffic visually so I spoke with bpt and picked up a squawk code. When I was putting in the squawk code tcad gave me a second warning of traffic same altitude .7 mi. Almost instantaneously tcad warned of traffic .3 mi, same altitude. I immediately began a shallow left climbing +300 ft turn to the left looking behind me for traffic. Bpt could not radar identify me because the other plane squawking 1200 was so close that he was conflicting with my transponder. I finally saw a C310 at my 5:30 O'clock position approximately 100 ft below me and 500 ft horizontally. I broke right and climbed to avoid traffic. After I turned right he saw me and turned left. It was then that the bpt approach controller idented me as well as the other VFR traffic. Lessons learned: 1) believe your instruments. When someone is at same altitude within 5 mi and you do not have a visual, change altitudes. I simply waited too long. The tcad did however prevent a midair. By climbing 300 ft I was above the traffic. 2) fly IFR. I almost never fly VFR and never will take a trip without being in the system again. 3) there are a lot of people out there not looking. I do my best to keep up a good scan, but no one has a good view of their 6 O'clock position. Fly with tcad!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A BEECH A36, BONANZA, IN CRUISE FLT AT 7500 FT AND A C310 IN CRUISE FLT AT THE SAME ALT. RPTR IN THE A36 MADE A CLBING TURN TO THE R AND THE C310 TURNED TO THE L.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM AAP IN HOUSTON AND WAS CLRED VFR THROUGH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND INSTRUCTED TO FLY THE VFR CORRIDOR EBOUND (ALONG I-10) AT OR BELOW 2500 FT. WITHIN 5 MINS I WAS CLRED TO 7500 FT FOR MY TRIP TO OR3. UPON DEPARTING CLASS B AIRSPACE, ATC GAVE ME A FREQ CHANGE AND VFR SQUAWK. I BEGAN TO LOOK UP BEAUMONT'S APCH CTL TO RESUME FLT FOLLOWING AND TUNED THE BPT VOR. (I WAS NAVING GPS DIRECT OR3.) MY PLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH RYAN TCAD WHICH ALERTS THE USER TO TFC IN THE AREA. TCAD SHOWS DISTANCE BTWN YOU AND TARGET, AND ALT OF TARGET IN REF TO YOU. TCAD USES COMPARATIVE DATA BTWN YOUR XPONDER AND OTHER ACFT'S XPONDER. WITHIN A MIN OF TUNING BPT APCH, TCAD GAVE ME A WARNING OF AN ACFT AT SAME ALT AND 5 MI. I COULDN'T PICK UP TFC VISUALLY SO I SPOKE WITH BPT AND PICKED UP A SQUAWK CODE. WHEN I WAS PUTTING IN THE SQUAWK CODE TCAD GAVE ME A SECOND WARNING OF TFC SAME ALT .7 MI. ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY TCAD WARNED OF TFC .3 MI, SAME ALT. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A SHALLOW L CLBING +300 FT TURN TO THE L LOOKING BEHIND ME FOR TFC. BPT COULD NOT RADAR IDENT ME BECAUSE THE OTHER PLANE SQUAWKING 1200 WAS SO CLOSE THAT HE WAS CONFLICTING WITH MY XPONDER. I FINALLY SAW A C310 AT MY 5:30 O'CLOCK POS APPROX 100 FT BELOW ME AND 500 FT HORIZLY. I BROKE R AND CLBED TO AVOID TFC. AFTER I TURNED R HE SAW ME AND TURNED L. IT WAS THEN THAT THE BPT APCH CTLR IDENTED ME AS WELL AS THE OTHER VFR TFC. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) BELIEVE YOUR INSTS. WHEN SOMEONE IS AT SAME ALT WITHIN 5 MI AND YOU DO NOT HAVE A VISUAL, CHANGE ALTS. I SIMPLY WAITED TOO LONG. THE TCAD DID HOWEVER PREVENT A MIDAIR. BY CLBING 300 FT I WAS ABOVE THE TFC. 2) FLY IFR. I ALMOST NEVER FLY VFR AND NEVER WILL TAKE A TRIP WITHOUT BEING IN THE SYS AGAIN. 3) THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE NOT LOOKING. I DO MY BEST TO KEEP UP A GOOD SCAN, BUT NO ONE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF THEIR 6 O'CLOCK POS. FLY WITH TCAD!

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.

Near midair collision between a beech A36, bonanza, in cruise flight at 7500 ft and a C310 in cruise flight at the same altitude. Reporter in the A36 made a climbing turn to the right and the C310 turned to the left.