Narrative:

My flight was handled in a routine manner and cmh approach control assigned me 4000 ft and a 360 degree heading as a vector to osu. When I was just east of the downtown area of columbus and west of cmh at 4000 ft on my assigned 360 degree heading, I saw a citation (sii, I believe) suddenly appear in my right windshield travelling from right to left at my altitude. I immediately banked right to pass behind the citation and as it flew by, I read its tail number recognizing it to be an xyz company aircraft. I estimate the citation was less than 100 yards from my aircraft at my altitude. I came up on approach control frequency and indicated that 'I was almost just run over by a citation.' the controller indicated that the tower controller should have kept the citation from my position. As I understood him, he indicated that there was a pointer on my radar target. (I assume that is some type of indication on the radar screen.) I indicated that the conflict had been way too close and he agreed. I later learned that the citation which had departed from port columbus (IFR) was cleared to 5000 ft, through my altitude. This near midair collision was seconds (at most) away from becoming a disaster which would have taken the lives of at least 3 persons. In that the citation was unannounced by approach, was unexpected and was approaching my aircraft from below and the right, it was difficult to see until it filled my windshield. I don't know if the citation ever saw my aircraft but I don't know how they could have avoided seeing me through the captain's windshield. I fault ATC for clearing another IFR aircraft through my altitude and for failing to notify me of the very real conflict which could have resulted in a midair collision. Even though the WX was VFR, at my forward speed of approximately 170 KTS and the citation's forward speed of over 200 KTS both of us on IFR clrncs, with separation essentially non existent, the potential for a disaster was huge. Had either the citation or my aircraft been traveling just a few KTS faster there would have been a collision and a tragic taking of lives. While I recognize the see and avoid responsibility of both crews in VFR conditions, as a practical matter, given these circumstances of one crew busy with departure duties and the other with arrival tasks, IFR separation should have been assured. As of this writing, I have contacted TRACON and they are investigating the incident. A final thought -- we all need to be extra vigilant in terminal areas even on IFR flight plans.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE ENG IFR ACFT PLT TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID IFR DEPARTING TFC IN CMH AIRSPACE.

Narrative: MY FLT WAS HANDLED IN A ROUTINE MANNER AND CMH APCH CTL ASSIGNED ME 4000 FT AND A 360 DEG HDG AS A VECTOR TO OSU. WHEN I WAS JUST E OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF COLUMBUS AND W OF CMH AT 4000 FT ON MY ASSIGNED 360 DEG HDG, I SAW A CITATION (SII, I BELIEVE) SUDDENLY APPEAR IN MY R WINDSHIELD TRAVELLING FROM R TO L AT MY ALT. I IMMEDIATELY BANKED R TO PASS BEHIND THE CITATION AND AS IT FLEW BY, I READ ITS TAIL NUMBER RECOGNIZING IT TO BE AN XYZ COMPANY ACFT. I ESTIMATE THE CITATION WAS LESS THAN 100 YARDS FROM MY ACFT AT MY ALT. I CAME UP ON APCH CTL FREQ AND INDICATED THAT 'I WAS ALMOST JUST RUN OVER BY A CITATION.' THE CTLR INDICATED THAT THE TWR CTLR SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE CITATION FROM MY POS. AS I UNDERSTOOD HIM, HE INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A POINTER ON MY RADAR TARGET. (I ASSUME THAT IS SOME TYPE OF INDICATION ON THE RADAR SCREEN.) I INDICATED THAT THE CONFLICT HAD BEEN WAY TOO CLOSE AND HE AGREED. I LATER LEARNED THAT THE CITATION WHICH HAD DEPARTED FROM PORT COLUMBUS (IFR) WAS CLRED TO 5000 FT, THROUGH MY ALT. THIS NMAC WAS SECONDS (AT MOST) AWAY FROM BECOMING A DISASTER WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE LIVES OF AT LEAST 3 PERSONS. IN THAT THE CITATION WAS UNANNOUNCED BY APCH, WAS UNEXPECTED AND WAS APCHING MY ACFT FROM BELOW AND THE R, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE UNTIL IT FILLED MY WINDSHIELD. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITATION EVER SAW MY ACFT BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY COULD HAVE AVOIDED SEEING ME THROUGH THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD. I FAULT ATC FOR CLRING ANOTHER IFR ACFT THROUGH MY ALT AND FOR FAILING TO NOTIFY ME OF THE VERY REAL CONFLICT WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION. EVEN THOUGH THE WX WAS VFR, AT MY FORWARD SPD OF APPROX 170 KTS AND THE CITATION'S FORWARD SPD OF OVER 200 KTS BOTH OF US ON IFR CLRNCS, WITH SEPARATION ESSENTIALLY NON EXISTENT, THE POTENTIAL FOR A DISASTER WAS HUGE. HAD EITHER THE CITATION OR MY ACFT BEEN TRAVELING JUST A FEW KTS FASTER THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION AND A TRAGIC TAKING OF LIVES. WHILE I RECOGNIZE THE SEE AND AVOID RESPONSIBILITY OF BOTH CREWS IN VFR CONDITIONS, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, GIVEN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES OF ONE CREW BUSY WITH DEP DUTIES AND THE OTHER WITH ARR TASKS, IFR SEPARATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASSURED. AS OF THIS WRITING, I HAVE CONTACTED TRACON AND THEY ARE INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT. A FINAL THOUGHT -- WE ALL NEED TO BE EXTRA VIGILANT IN TERMINAL AREAS EVEN ON IFR FLT PLANS.

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.