Narrative:

After completing practice of single engine commercial maneuvers in the north practice area located north of daytona beach international we proceeded to descend out of 4000 ft northbound towards flagler county airport (X47). Approximately 3 mi south of X47; and descending at approximately 200-300 FPM passing through 2500 ft we received an aural and visual traffic alert from TCAS. We observed traffic on the TCAS display at approximately 300 ft above and 2 mi at our 12 O'clock position. We continued our slow descent and maintained a northerly heading towards X47 and diverted most of our attention to obtaining visual contact on the traffic. The next TCAS update showed the traffic at our 12 O'clock position; less than 1 mi and only 100 ft above our position. My friend who is a private single-; multi-engine commercial pilot with instrument airplane yelled out as he saw what he thought to be a jet heading straight for us at the same altitude. At this point I began trying to make visual contact with the aircraft. Approximately 3 seconds after my friend's warning; I observed a multi-engine aircraft at our 11-12 O'clock position and nearly the same altitude. The size of the approaching aircraft was rapidly increasing. After a second or two; I could tell that the aircraft was a piston multi-engine. Upon visual contact; I immediately pushed the yoke forward and started a right turn. The aircraft continued ahead and also deviated right after about another 2 seconds. We were close enough to see the pin stripes on the passing seneca. A major contributing factor to the near midair collision was the TCAS was zoomed in too close (on the 1 mi range) so that we could not see the approaching traffic until we received the traffic alert. To resolve this; pilots must have the TCAS displayed to an acceptable range to give ample time to observe oncoming traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLTS EXPERIENCE NMAC WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION PA34 AFTER RECEIVING A TCAS TFC ALERT.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING PRACTICE OF SINGLE ENG COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS IN THE N PRACTICE AREA LOCATED N OF DAYTONA BEACH INTL WE PROCEEDED TO DSND OUT OF 4000 FT NBOUND TOWARDS FLAGLER COUNTY ARPT (X47). APPROX 3 MI S OF X47; AND DSNDING AT APPROX 200-300 FPM PASSING THROUGH 2500 FT WE RECEIVED AN AURAL AND VISUAL TFC ALERT FROM TCAS. WE OBSERVED TFC ON THE TCAS DISPLAY AT APPROX 300 FT ABOVE AND 2 MI AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS. WE CONTINUED OUR SLOW DSCNT AND MAINTAINED A NORTHERLY HEADING TOWARDS X47 AND DIVERTED MOST OF OUR ATTN TO OBTAINING VISUAL CONTACT ON THE TFC. THE NEXT TCAS UPDATE SHOWED THE TFC AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS; LESS THAN 1 MI AND ONLY 100 FT ABOVE OUR POS. MY FRIEND WHO IS A PVT SINGLE-; MULTI-ENG COMMERCIAL PLT WITH INST AIRPLANE YELLED OUT AS HE SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT TO BE A JET HEADING STRAIGHT FOR US AT THE SAME ALT. AT THIS POINT I BEGAN TRYING TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ACFT. APPROX 3 SECONDS AFTER MY FRIEND'S WARNING; I OBSERVED A MULTI-ENG ACFT AT OUR 11-12 O'CLOCK POS AND NEARLY THE SAME ALT. THE SIZE OF THE APCHING ACFT WAS RAPIDLY INCREASING. AFTER A SECOND OR TWO; I COULD TELL THAT THE ACFT WAS A PISTON MULTI-ENG. UPON VISUAL CONTACT; I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE YOKE FORWARD AND STARTED A R TURN. THE ACFT CONTINUED AHEAD AND ALSO DEVIATED R AFTER ABOUT ANOTHER 2 SECONDS. WE WERE CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THE PIN STRIPES ON THE PASSING SENECA. A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE NMAC WAS THE TCAS WAS ZOOMED IN TOO CLOSE (ON THE 1 MI RANGE) SO THAT WE COULD NOT SEE THE APCHING TFC UNTIL WE RECEIVED THE TFC ALERT. TO RESOLVE THIS; PLTS MUST HAVE THE TCAS DISPLAYED TO AN ACCEPTABLE RANGE TO GIVE AMPLE TIME TO OBSERVE ONCOMING TFC.

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.