Narrative:

I had departed chd from runway 22R en route to prescott; az; and chose to request clearance through the phx class B airspace northbound via the VFR transition route east of the phx airport. The first controller I contacted at phx approach cleared me into the class B airspace; instructed me to 'reverse course; fly direct to the interstate; then north between the interstate and the runway thresholds' for the east transition. As I continued northbound along the transition route just southeast of the phx airport; I was handed off to another controller; who; after clarifying my intentions of an en route altitude of 8500 ft; instructed me to 'maintain VFR at 4500 ft.' I continued along the east transition at that altitude (4500 ft) when I became aware of another aircraft that appeared to be at my 12 O'clock position and some distance away. At that time I had just passed the runway thresholds at phx. I first spotted the other aircraft's landing light; which did not alarm me; due to the fact that I had flown through phx's airspace a number of times in the evening and at night prior to this flight; and it was not uncommon on a busy evening to fly in close proximity to other air traffic that was not on a 'collision course' and observe their landing lights. I continued to monitor the aircraft as I awaited possible vectors away from the traffic from phx approach. It was apparent to me that traffic was relatively light in the phx area that evening; and the specific controller handling my flight seemed very unhurried and noticeably relaxed. The frequency I was communicating on was uncongested and especially quiet; considering it is used for virtually all low altitude traffic in the northern portion of the phx class B airspace. For these reasons I believed that I could at the very least expect a TA; and with respect to the course of the other aircraft; vectors away from the traffic as well. As the aircraft continued approaching; apparently on the east transition headed sbound; I realized the aircraft was head-on with me as his wingtip navigation lights came into view. At this point; I became concerned and; unsure of the controller's awareness of the situation; began a slow descent to avoid the other aircraft. Prior to and during the descent; the approach controller never advised me of the head-on traffic; and I do not recall hearing conversation between the controller and the oncoming traffic during my communication with the controller on that frequency. During the descent; I noticed the rate at which the wingtip navigation lights of the other aircraft began to appear diverging; and I realized that the other aircraft was fast approaching. At this; I immediately pitched the nose down at a steeper angle and watched the aircraft as it passed above me and narrowly missed my right wing. I believe that the traffic was in a slight descent as he passed off of my wing. After the aircraft passed to my rear; I climbed back to my assigned altitude of 4500 ft from an altitude of 4300 ft and continued northbound along the east transition. Strangely enough; the controller never commented to either myself or the seminole about the occurrence; or my deviation from 4500 ft. From my perspective; I believe that although I avoided the other aircraft; earlier detection of a head-on course with the traffic and a faster and more deliberate response; combined with a turn; would have provided better separation between myself and the seminole. Additionally; avoidance measures taken by the seminole would have aided separation. Also contributing to the near midair collision was that I failed to query the controller about the oncoming traffic after I noticed it; and that I expected an advisory and vectors from phx approach. At the time of the occurrence; the aircraft I was flying was equipped with a landing light in the nose of the aircraft; wingtip and tail position lights; and a red anti-collision beacon atop the stabilizer of the aircraft; all of which were operable and lighted. I am unsure as to when; or if; the seminole detected me as traffic; despite these precautions. I still question why the phx approach controller did not attempt to contact myself or the seminole regarding a possible conflict/collision; and why seconds after the occurrence he continued to issue instructions to other aircraft in the same relaxed tone; as though nothing had happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR C172 TRANSITIONING PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 4500 FT EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH UNRPTED OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC.

Narrative: I HAD DEPARTED CHD FROM RWY 22R ENRTE TO PRESCOTT; AZ; AND CHOSE TO REQUEST CLRNC THROUGH THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE NBOUND VIA THE VFR TRANSITION RTE E OF THE PHX ARPT. THE FIRST CTLR I CONTACTED AT PHX APCH CLRED ME INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; INSTRUCTED ME TO 'REVERSE COURSE; FLY DIRECT TO THE INTERSTATE; THEN N BTWN THE INTERSTATE AND THE RWY THRESHOLDS' FOR THE E TRANSITION. AS I CONTINUED NBOUND ALONG THE TRANSITION RTE JUST SE OF THE PHX ARPT; I WAS HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR; WHO; AFTER CLARIFYING MY INTENTIONS OF AN ENRTE ALT OF 8500 FT; INSTRUCTED ME TO 'MAINTAIN VFR AT 4500 FT.' I CONTINUED ALONG THE E TRANSITION AT THAT ALT (4500 FT) WHEN I BECAME AWARE OF ANOTHER ACFT THAT APPEARED TO BE AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS AND SOME DISTANCE AWAY. AT THAT TIME I HAD JUST PASSED THE RWY THRESHOLDS AT PHX. I FIRST SPOTTED THE OTHER ACFT'S LNDG LIGHT; WHICH DID NOT ALARM ME; DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD FLOWN THROUGH PHX'S AIRSPACE A NUMBER OF TIMES IN THE EVENING AND AT NIGHT PRIOR TO THIS FLT; AND IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON ON A BUSY EVENING TO FLY IN CLOSE PROX TO OTHER AIR TFC THAT WAS NOT ON A 'COLLISION COURSE' AND OBSERVE THEIR LNDG LIGHTS. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE ACFT AS I AWAITED POSSIBLE VECTORS AWAY FROM THE TFC FROM PHX APCH. IT WAS APPARENT TO ME THAT TFC WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT IN THE PHX AREA THAT EVENING; AND THE SPECIFIC CTLR HANDLING MY FLT SEEMED VERY UNHURRIED AND NOTICEABLY RELAXED. THE FREQ I WAS COMMUNICATING ON WAS UNCONGESTED AND ESPECIALLY QUIET; CONSIDERING IT IS USED FOR VIRTUALLY ALL LOW ALT TFC IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE. FOR THESE REASONS I BELIEVED THAT I COULD AT THE VERY LEAST EXPECT A TA; AND WITH RESPECT TO THE COURSE OF THE OTHER ACFT; VECTORS AWAY FROM THE TFC AS WELL. AS THE ACFT CONTINUED APCHING; APPARENTLY ON THE E TRANSITION HEADED SBOUND; I REALIZED THE ACFT WAS HEAD-ON WITH ME AS HIS WINGTIP NAV LIGHTS CAME INTO VIEW. AT THIS POINT; I BECAME CONCERNED AND; UNSURE OF THE CTLR'S AWARENESS OF THE SITUATION; BEGAN A SLOW DSCNT TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT. PRIOR TO AND DURING THE DSCNT; THE APCH CTLR NEVER ADVISED ME OF THE HEAD-ON TFC; AND I DO NOT RECALL HEARING CONVERSATION BTWN THE CTLR AND THE ONCOMING TFC DURING MY COM WITH THE CTLR ON THAT FREQ. DURING THE DSCNT; I NOTICED THE RATE AT WHICH THE WINGTIP NAV LIGHTS OF THE OTHER ACFT BEGAN TO APPEAR DIVERGING; AND I REALIZED THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS FAST APCHING. AT THIS; I IMMEDIATELY PITCHED THE NOSE DOWN AT A STEEPER ANGLE AND WATCHED THE ACFT AS IT PASSED ABOVE ME AND NARROWLY MISSED MY R WING. I BELIEVE THAT THE TFC WAS IN A SLIGHT DSCNT AS HE PASSED OFF OF MY WING. AFTER THE ACFT PASSED TO MY REAR; I CLBED BACK TO MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 4500 FT FROM AN ALT OF 4300 FT AND CONTINUED NBOUND ALONG THE E TRANSITION. STRANGELY ENOUGH; THE CTLR NEVER COMMENTED TO EITHER MYSELF OR THE SEMINOLE ABOUT THE OCCURRENCE; OR MY DEV FROM 4500 FT. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE; I BELIEVE THAT ALTHOUGH I AVOIDED THE OTHER ACFT; EARLIER DETECTION OF A HEAD-ON COURSE WITH THE TFC AND A FASTER AND MORE DELIBERATE RESPONSE; COMBINED WITH A TURN; WOULD HAVE PROVIDED BETTER SEPARATION BTWN MYSELF AND THE SEMINOLE. ADDITIONALLY; AVOIDANCE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE SEMINOLE WOULD HAVE AIDED SEPARATION. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE NMAC WAS THAT I FAILED TO QUERY THE CTLR ABOUT THE ONCOMING TFC AFTER I NOTICED IT; AND THAT I EXPECTED AN ADVISORY AND VECTORS FROM PHX APCH. AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE; THE ACFT I WAS FLYING WAS EQUIPPED WITH A LNDG LIGHT IN THE NOSE OF THE ACFT; WINGTIP AND TAIL POS LIGHTS; AND A RED ANTI-COLLISION BEACON ATOP THE STABILIZER OF THE ACFT; ALL OF WHICH WERE OPERABLE AND LIGHTED. I AM UNSURE AS TO WHEN; OR IF; THE SEMINOLE DETECTED ME AS TFC; DESPITE THESE PRECAUTIONS. I STILL QUESTION WHY THE PHX APCH CTLR DID NOT ATTEMPT TO CONTACT MYSELF OR THE SEMINOLE REGARDING A POSSIBLE CONFLICT/COLLISION; AND WHY SECONDS AFTER THE OCCURRENCE HE CONTINUED TO ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT IN THE SAME RELAXED TONE; AS THOUGH NOTHING HAD HAPPENED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.