Narrative:

I have about 30 yrs of experience, most of the last 20 yrs on IFR flight plans. On oct/xa/01 at about XA00, I was sbound from watertown, ny, to hilton head, sc, in my seneca ii at 8000 ft on an IFR flight plan. The WX was cavu and I was just south of syr VOR when syr departure told me to turn left for traffic. They never told me the location, direction or altitude of the traffic, which is very unusual. I assumed the traffic was going to pass off my right side since I had been turned to the left. Within about 30 seconds, a light twin passed from left to right directly in front of me at the same altitude and so close that I bounced through his wake turbulence. We all know that wingtip vortices blow down and descend so I was that close to this aircraft. I was visibly shaken knowing that the accident would have been fatal for the occupants of both aircraft. Even though I maintain vigilance in the cockpit, I would not have had enough time to take evasive maneuvers, especially in light of the fact that I was searching the sky to the right of center. A wrong assumption. Neglecting to tell me the location of my traffic compounded the problem which was developing very quickly. I filed an IFR flight plan for all my travels thinking that 2 sets of eyes are better than 1. In this case, partial reliance on syr departure almost cost me my life. I feel that there was no excuse for this error. Given a choice, I would gladly have done a 180 degree to northbound for a few mins rather than risk this accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN GA ACFT AT SYR.

Narrative: I HAVE ABOUT 30 YRS OF EXPERIENCE, MOST OF THE LAST 20 YRS ON IFR FLT PLANS. ON OCT/XA/01 AT ABOUT XA00, I WAS SBOUND FROM WATERTOWN, NY, TO HILTON HEAD, SC, IN MY SENECA II AT 8000 FT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE WX WAS CAVU AND I WAS JUST S OF SYR VOR WHEN SYR DEP TOLD ME TO TURN L FOR TFC. THEY NEVER TOLD ME THE LOCATION, DIRECTION OR ALT OF THE TFC, WHICH IS VERY UNUSUAL. I ASSUMED THE TFC WAS GOING TO PASS OFF MY R SIDE SINCE I HAD BEEN TURNED TO THE L. WITHIN ABOUT 30 SECONDS, A LIGHT TWIN PASSED FROM L TO R DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME AT THE SAME ALT AND SO CLOSE THAT I BOUNCED THROUGH HIS WAKE TURB. WE ALL KNOW THAT WINGTIP VORTICES BLOW DOWN AND DSND SO I WAS THAT CLOSE TO THIS ACFT. I WAS VISIBLY SHAKEN KNOWING THAT THE ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL FOR THE OCCUPANTS OF BOTH ACFT. EVEN THOUGH I MAINTAIN VIGILANCE IN THE COCKPIT, I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO TAKE EVASIVE MANEUVERS, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT I WAS SEARCHING THE SKY TO THE R OF CTR. A WRONG ASSUMPTION. NEGLECTING TO TELL ME THE LOCATION OF MY TFC COMPOUNDED THE PROB WHICH WAS DEVELOPING VERY QUICKLY. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR ALL MY TRAVELS THINKING THAT 2 SETS OF EYES ARE BETTER THAN 1. IN THIS CASE, PARTIAL RELIANCE ON SYR DEP ALMOST COST ME MY LIFE. I FEEL THAT THERE WAS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS ERROR. GIVEN A CHOICE, I WOULD GLADLY HAVE DONE A 180 DEG TO NBOUND FOR A FEW MINS RATHER THAN RISK THIS ACCIDENT.

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.