Narrative:

I was a passenger flying from dtw to atl when I noticed a vapor trail at some distance out the left (east) side of the aircraft. Within 1 min or so; the trail became evident that it was coming from a dark twin engine plane approaching perpendicular to our flight path. I told my wife to look out the window as the 2 rows in front of us and the row behind us looked out at the same time. The approaching plane made a sudden upward climb and veered to his right to pass over top of our aircraft. Those that were watching exclaimed; 'wow! Did I really see that!? That plane was really close.' the approaching plane climbed rapidly to avoid collision and at such a rate that it appeared almost as a military maneuver. In total; 8-9 people saw the plane and the avoidance. We asked the stewards if they had seen it or if the pilot of our plane knew where the other plane came from. No one knew of the plane and the pilot told the stewards that there was no other plane. Upon leaving the plane; several of us asked the pilot if he was going to report the near midair collision. His response was 'you must have seen a UFO!' I'm a busy professional; a frequent traveler and happy to be able to write this report. I am not happy with the cavalier approach by a pilot responsible for safe travel to disregard my safety. Surely the navigator; ATC; or someone responsible for traffic saw this on radar -- even if the pilot did not see it personally. I ask that this incident be investigated and that the pilot take his responsibilities more seriously. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he saw the contrails of the approaching aircraft and as it got closer it appeared to climb and avoid the aircraft he was in. He was not aware of the change to the separation rules associated with rvsm and the speeds with which aircraft approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX ON A COMMERCIAL ACFT OBSERVES ANOTHER COMMERCIAL ACFT APCH HIS ACFT FROM THE SIDE AND PERCEIVES THAT IT MAY BE AN NMAC.

Narrative: I WAS A PAX FLYING FROM DTW TO ATL WHEN I NOTICED A VAPOR TRAIL AT SOME DISTANCE OUT THE L (E) SIDE OF THE ACFT. WITHIN 1 MIN OR SO; THE TRAIL BECAME EVIDENT THAT IT WAS COMING FROM A DARK TWIN ENG PLANE APCHING PERPENDICULAR TO OUR FLT PATH. I TOLD MY WIFE TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AS THE 2 ROWS IN FRONT OF US AND THE ROW BEHIND US LOOKED OUT AT THE SAME TIME. THE APCHING PLANE MADE A SUDDEN UPWARD CLB AND VEERED TO HIS R TO PASS OVER TOP OF OUR ACFT. THOSE THAT WERE WATCHING EXCLAIMED; 'WOW! DID I REALLY SEE THAT!? THAT PLANE WAS REALLY CLOSE.' THE APCHING PLANE CLBED RAPIDLY TO AVOID COLLISION AND AT SUCH A RATE THAT IT APPEARED ALMOST AS A MIL MANEUVER. IN TOTAL; 8-9 PEOPLE SAW THE PLANE AND THE AVOIDANCE. WE ASKED THE STEWARDS IF THEY HAD SEEN IT OR IF THE PLT OF OUR PLANE KNEW WHERE THE OTHER PLANE CAME FROM. NO ONE KNEW OF THE PLANE AND THE PLT TOLD THE STEWARDS THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER PLANE. UPON LEAVING THE PLANE; SEVERAL OF US ASKED THE PLT IF HE WAS GOING TO RPT THE NMAC. HIS RESPONSE WAS 'YOU MUST HAVE SEEN A UFO!' I'M A BUSY PROFESSIONAL; A FREQUENT TRAVELER AND HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THIS RPT. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE CAVALIER APPROACH BY A PLT RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFE TRAVEL TO DISREGARD MY SAFETY. SURELY THE NAVIGATOR; ATC; OR SOMEONE RESPONSIBLE FOR TFC SAW THIS ON RADAR -- EVEN IF THE PLT DID NOT SEE IT PERSONALLY. I ASK THAT THIS INCIDENT BE INVESTIGATED AND THAT THE PLT TAKE HIS RESPONSIBILITIES MORE SERIOUSLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE SAW THE CONTRAILS OF THE APCHING ACFT AND AS IT GOT CLOSER IT APPEARED TO CLB AND AVOID THE ACFT HE WAS IN. HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE CHANGE TO THE SEPARATION RULES ASSOCIATED WITH RVSM AND THE SPDS WITH WHICH ACFT APCH.

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.