Narrative:

As I departed fort pierce airport, I turned northbound and began a climb to 4500 ft. I then contacted vero beach tower to request permission to transit their airspace. I leveled off at 4000 ft due to a scattered cloud layer at 4500 ft. I then decided to descend to 2500 ft, since I would not be able to climb above the clouds at 4500 ft without cloud penetration and also to comply with far 91.159. I then contacted daytona approach approximately 20 NM south of melbourne airport to request VFR flight following. I received flight following, and was told to maintain VFR and to report before any altitude changes. I was vectored around traffic 3 times while in daytona class C airspace. I was handed off to another daytona approach control frequency of 118.85. I was approximately 12-13 NM south of st augustine airport and approximately 18-19 NM north of X47 at the approximately coordinates of N29 degrees 45.500 west 81 degrees 16.500. I then attempted to contact daytona approach 3 times with no response from the daytona approach controller. Since I knew that there was heavy VFR traffic in and around the daytona class C airspace, I wanted to receive my handoff acknowledgement as soon as possible so that I could receive TA's. I also wanted to advise control that I was going to begin a climb to 4500 ft, since the cloud layer had dissipated. I then decided that I should doublechk my radio and chart to be sure that I was on the right frequency. I scanned thoroughly for traffic and saw none. The sky conditions at the time were sky clear with visibility of 10-12 mi. I then proceeded to check my radio and chart to make sure that I had the correct frequency, which was correct. I glanced down for no more than a few seconds, and when I looked up, there was a plane in a climbing left turn no more than 20 ft horizontal and 15 ft vertical from me. I immediately put my airplane into a descending left turn to avoid collision. I then immediately contacted daytona approach control on the same frequency to report the near midair collision. Daytona approach control immediately acknowledged my request and asked if the airplane had just passed to the right of me. I responded yes, then daytona approach control advised me that there was heavy VFR traffic in the area, they would get back with me with a phone number that I could call to make the report. I responded roger, and then proceeded to my destination, kheg to refuel, uneventful. Upon reaching my final destination of kctj, I called daytona tower and reported the near miss. I believe the chain of events that led up to the near midair collision were as follows: 1) my inability to climb throughout the clouds VFR to reach my initial cruising altitude of 4500 ft and my decision to continue the flight at 2500 ft, where I knew there would be more uncontrolled traffic until I could climb to 4500 ft. 2) daytona approach control not acknowledging my handoff whatsoever. 3) my decision to doublechk my radio and chart when no response from daytona approach control was heard. I fully understand that I, as PIC, have the ultimate responsibility to see and avoid traffic, and that VFR flight following is a workload permitting service. I believe that as a private pilot in VFR conditions, I was doing everything possible to see and avoid traffic, and I was utilizing the safety measures that I had available to me by obtaining VFR flight following. I also believe that if daytona approach control would have acknowledged my handoff, even with an aircraft calling stand by, I would have known that my xmissions were heard and that approach control was too busy to contact me. If I had known that I was on the correct frequency, I would not have made the decision to doublechk my radio and chart, and I would have been able to keep my traffic scan up. This event has shown me that it only takes a second for an accident to happen and to not put as much stock in VFR flight following. I will still continue to use VFR flight following whenever it is available to me, because I believe that it is an invaluable safety measure to VFR flts, because 2 sets of eyes will always be better than 1.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT AND AN UNIDENTED ACFT CAME WITHIN 20 FT OF COLLIDING IN DAB CLASS E.

Narrative: AS I DEPARTED FORT PIERCE ARPT, I TURNED NBOUND AND BEGAN A CLB TO 4500 FT. I THEN CONTACTED VERO BEACH TWR TO REQUEST PERMISSION TO TRANSIT THEIR AIRSPACE. I LEVELED OFF AT 4000 FT DUE TO A SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER AT 4500 FT. I THEN DECIDED TO DSND TO 2500 FT, SINCE I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CLB ABOVE THE CLOUDS AT 4500 FT WITHOUT CLOUD PENETRATION AND ALSO TO COMPLY WITH FAR 91.159. I THEN CONTACTED DAYTONA APCH APPROX 20 NM S OF MELBOURNE ARPT TO REQUEST VFR FLT FOLLOWING. I RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING, AND WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN VFR AND TO RPT BEFORE ANY ALT CHANGES. I WAS VECTORED AROUND TFC 3 TIMES WHILE IN DAYTONA CLASS C AIRSPACE. I WAS HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER DAYTONA APCH CTL FREQ OF 118.85. I WAS APPROX 12-13 NM S OF ST AUGUSTINE ARPT AND APPROX 18-19 NM N OF X47 AT THE APPROX COORDINATES OF N29 DEGS 45.500 W 81 DEGS 16.500. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DAYTONA APCH 3 TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE DAYTONA APCH CTLR. SINCE I KNEW THAT THERE WAS HVY VFR TFC IN AND AROUND THE DAYTONA CLASS C AIRSPACE, I WANTED TO RECEIVE MY HDOF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ASAP SO THAT I COULD RECEIVE TA'S. I ALSO WANTED TO ADVISE CTL THAT I WAS GOING TO BEGIN A CLB TO 4500 FT, SINCE THE CLOUD LAYER HAD DISSIPATED. I THEN DECIDED THAT I SHOULD DOUBLECHK MY RADIO AND CHART TO BE SURE THAT I WAS ON THE RIGHT FREQ. I SCANNED THOROUGHLY FOR TFC AND SAW NONE. THE SKY CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE SKY CLR WITH VISIBILITY OF 10-12 MI. I THEN PROCEEDED TO CHK MY RADIO AND CHART TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD THE CORRECT FREQ, WHICH WAS CORRECT. I GLANCED DOWN FOR NO MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS, AND WHEN I LOOKED UP, THERE WAS A PLANE IN A CLBING L TURN NO MORE THAN 20 FT HORIZ AND 15 FT VERT FROM ME. I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY AIRPLANE INTO A DSNDING L TURN TO AVOID COLLISION. I THEN IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED DAYTONA APCH CTL ON THE SAME FREQ TO RPT THE NMAC. DAYTONA APCH CTL IMMEDIATELY ACKNOWLEDGED MY REQUEST AND ASKED IF THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST PASSED TO THE R OF ME. I RESPONDED YES, THEN DAYTONA APCH CTL ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS HVY VFR TFC IN THE AREA, THEY WOULD GET BACK WITH ME WITH A PHONE NUMBER THAT I COULD CALL TO MAKE THE RPT. I RESPONDED ROGER, AND THEN PROCEEDED TO MY DEST, KHEG TO REFUEL, UNEVENTFUL. UPON REACHING MY FINAL DEST OF KCTJ, I CALLED DAYTONA TWR AND RPTED THE NEAR MISS. I BELIEVE THE CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THE NMAC WERE AS FOLLOWS: 1) MY INABILITY TO CLB THROUGHOUT THE CLOUDS VFR TO REACH MY INITIAL CRUISING ALT OF 4500 FT AND MY DECISION TO CONTINUE THE FLT AT 2500 FT, WHERE I KNEW THERE WOULD BE MORE UNCTLED TFC UNTIL I COULD CLB TO 4500 FT. 2) DAYTONA APCH CTL NOT ACKNOWLEDGING MY HDOF WHATSOEVER. 3) MY DECISION TO DOUBLECHK MY RADIO AND CHART WHEN NO RESPONSE FROM DAYTONA APCH CTL WAS HEARD. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT I, AS PIC, HAVE THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE AND AVOID TFC, AND THAT VFR FLT FOLLOWING IS A WORKLOAD PERMITTING SVC. I BELIEVE THAT AS A PVT PLT IN VFR CONDITIONS, I WAS DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SEE AND AVOID TFC, AND I WAS UTILIZING THE SAFETY MEASURES THAT I HAD AVAILABLE TO ME BY OBTAINING VFR FLT FOLLOWING. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IF DAYTONA APCH CTL WOULD HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED MY HDOF, EVEN WITH AN ACFT CALLING STAND BY, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT MY XMISSIONS WERE HEARD AND THAT APCH CTL WAS TOO BUSY TO CONTACT ME. IF I HAD KNOWN THAT I WAS ON THE CORRECT FREQ, I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO DOUBLECHK MY RADIO AND CHART, AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP MY TFC SCAN UP. THIS EVENT HAS SHOWN ME THAT IT ONLY TAKES A SECOND FOR AN ACCIDENT TO HAPPEN AND TO NOT PUT AS MUCH STOCK IN VFR FLT FOLLOWING. I WILL STILL CONTINUE TO USE VFR FLT FOLLOWING WHENEVER IT IS AVAILABLE TO ME, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IT IS AN INVALUABLE SAFETY MEASURE TO VFR FLTS, BECAUSE 2 SETS OF EYES WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN 1.

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.