Narrative:

Climbing VFR out of 5700 ft to 7500 ft in the process of establishing contact with new york approach for flight following; controller did not respond to initial contacts. On 3RD attempt controller responded. Then started giving advisories to another aircraft about VFR traffic 12 O'clock position 1.5 mi climbing out of 6000 ft I never heard any information being given to my aircraft using my north number. However; controller started to sound concerned. I felt aircraft he was talking about could be me. I started to descend out of 6300 ft back towards 6000 ft. Other aircraft called us in sight. Shortly after; I saw the aircraft emerging from behind center windshield post. At that point neither aircraft were converging vertically. Although we had taken corrective action neither aircraft took aggressive evasive action and controller never issued other aircraft an advisory to climb. I am very diligent in scanning for traffic; one reason I own a low wing aircraft. I will continue to diligently scan for traffic. I could have attempted contact earlier with new york approach and I am looking into a portable onboard traffic advisory system. I think the system worked although I would like to have visually idented the traffic sooner.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT RPTS NARROWLY MISSING AN ACFT TALKING WITH ATC WHILE THE RPTR WAS COMING ONTO THE FREQ.

Narrative: CLBING VFR OUT OF 5700 FT TO 7500 FT IN THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH NEW YORK APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING; CTLR DID NOT RESPOND TO INITIAL CONTACTS. ON 3RD ATTEMPT CTLR RESPONDED. THEN STARTED GIVING ADVISORIES TO ANOTHER ACFT ABOUT VFR TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS 1.5 MI CLBING OUT OF 6000 FT I NEVER HEARD ANY INFO BEING GIVEN TO MY ACFT USING MY N NUMBER. HOWEVER; CTLR STARTED TO SOUND CONCERNED. I FELT ACFT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT COULD BE ME. I STARTED TO DSND OUT OF 6300 FT BACK TOWARDS 6000 FT. OTHER ACFT CALLED US IN SIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER; I SAW THE ACFT EMERGING FROM BEHIND CTR WINDSHIELD POST. AT THAT POINT NEITHER ACFT WERE CONVERGING VERTICALLY. ALTHOUGH WE HAD TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION NEITHER ACFT TOOK AGGRESSIVE EVASIVE ACTION AND CTLR NEVER ISSUED OTHER ACFT AN ADVISORY TO CLB. I AM VERY DILIGENT IN SCANNING FOR TFC; ONE REASON I OWN A LOW WING ACFT. I WILL CONTINUE TO DILIGENTLY SCAN FOR TFC. I COULD HAVE ATTEMPTED CONTACT EARLIER WITH NEW YORK APCH AND I AM LOOKING INTO A PORTABLE ONBOARD TRAFFIC ADVISORY SYS. I THINK THE SYS WORKED ALTHOUGH I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE VISUALLY IDENTED THE TFC SOONER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.