Narrative:

[I] opened IFR flight plan in air with houston center; cleared as filed; present heading to 3;000 feet then direct iow 7;000 feet. I acknowledged and told houston I was already essentially direct. Track about 014. Center was working light to moderate amount of traffic. During the climb; I heard several light aircraft ask for flight following service. I got the impression via listening to radio traffic that the male center controller was young and perhaps inexperienced. It was a matter of tone of voice and how he responded to requests and issued advisories; sounded well trained but maybe not highly experienced. As I climbed over 3;000 feet; I heard a male voice with a slight accent identify himself as a cessna 182 VFR from west of college station en route to west houston. I don't know if the advisory request was honored or not. When I was climbing to about 3;500 feet; I got a call from center advising me of traffic; one mile; one o'clock; east bound; 3;600 feet. I considered that pretty close and immediately straightened up and looked to the right front of the aircraft and told my passenger in the right seat that there was an airplane pretty close to us and please let me know if she saw anything. I saw nothing and reported negative contact. Very soon thereafter center called me again and about this time I saw the aircraft at about my eleven o'clock; slightly above me; moving left to right (west to east) about 400 feet ahead of me. It was close enough that I could easily identify the aircraft as a cessna high wing; fixed gear; white; that was a C172 or C182. The identification number was big enough that I think I could have read it if I had focused on it. My immediate reaction was that we would not collide as I would likely pass behind him; but I acted to initiate a precautionary left bank at about 20-30 degrees for 10 or 15 seconds and kept my eyes on him. That was enough to ensure we would not converge. I did not make a speed change. The other aircraft continued in steady flight and made no control movement that I could see. I told center I had the traffic in sight. After the plane cleared I resumed my course. I did not notify ATC of the distance because they obviously knew we were close and once I attained visual contact they knew I was responsible for separation; which I immediately ensured. I wonder if this was the cessna that was asking for flight following. I did not note the winds aloft at the time; but a little later when at 7;000; I noted my track was 007 and there was a slight wind from about 320 degrees. To me; that means that my heading and track at 3500 feet were about the same and when I looked out the right front of the aircraft in response to a call of traffic at one o'clock I was searching in about the right place. Why; then; was the aircraft seen at eleven o'clock? I wonder if the controller was looking at the other aircraft when talking to me. I would have been at the other aircraft's one o'clock. During this phase of the climb out; I had a light cockpit workload. I was not reconfiguring the aircraft or making avionics entries. I was conducting normal traffic scans and monitoring center. I was not engaged with the passenger but was focused on flying the airplane. The center warning alerted me to extra vigilance and had me looking out the front of the aircraft with full attention. I suspect that had center not advised me; I would have seen the traffic later and might have been very close. I wonder why center had the other airplane off my right when it was off my left; given that my track and heading were pretty close. This incident reinforced my awareness that 'see and avoid' is a primary responsibility whenever conditions permit. It reminded me to take ATC traffic advisories seriously but also recognize that relative position may not be what is given by ATC and one needs to look all around. I think my maneuvering was appropriate. I think I should consciously expand my traffic scan pattern to be wider in scope and more deliberate. I recently flew a formation course in which distances were estimated; so hopefully my guess of 400 feet is not too far off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 pilot on IFR flight plan is informed of traffic at one o'clock and one mile. When traffic is finally detected visually it is at 11 o'clock and very close. Reporter believes that the controller may have been looking at the other aircraft when calling traffic to him (C210 pilot).

Narrative: [I] opened IFR flight plan in air with Houston Center; cleared as filed; present heading to 3;000 feet then direct IOW 7;000 feet. I acknowledged and told Houston I was already essentially direct. Track about 014. Center was working light to moderate amount of traffic. During the climb; I heard several light aircraft ask for flight following service. I got the impression via listening to radio traffic that the male Center Controller was young and perhaps inexperienced. It was a matter of tone of voice and how he responded to requests and issued advisories; sounded well trained but maybe not highly experienced. As I climbed over 3;000 feet; I heard a male voice with a slight accent identify himself as a Cessna 182 VFR from west of College Station en route to West Houston. I don't know if the advisory request was honored or not. When I was climbing to about 3;500 feet; I got a call from Center advising me of traffic; one mile; one o'clock; east bound; 3;600 feet. I considered that pretty close and immediately straightened up and looked to the right front of the aircraft and told my passenger in the right seat that there was an airplane pretty close to us and please let me know if she saw anything. I saw nothing and reported negative contact. Very soon thereafter Center called me again and about this time I saw the aircraft at about my eleven o'clock; slightly above me; moving left to right (west to east) about 400 feet ahead of me. It was close enough that I could easily identify the aircraft as a Cessna high wing; fixed gear; white; that was a C172 or C182. The ID number was big enough that I think I could have read it if I had focused on it. My immediate reaction was that we would not collide as I would likely pass behind him; but I acted to initiate a precautionary left bank at about 20-30 degrees for 10 or 15 seconds and kept my eyes on him. That was enough to ensure we would not converge. I did not make a speed change. The other aircraft continued in steady flight and made no control movement that I could see. I told Center I had the traffic in sight. After the plane cleared I resumed my course. I did not notify ATC of the distance because they obviously knew we were close and once I attained visual contact they knew I was responsible for separation; which I immediately ensured. I wonder if this was the Cessna that was asking for flight following. I did not note the winds aloft at the time; but a little later when at 7;000; I noted my track was 007 and there was a slight wind from about 320 degrees. To me; that means that my heading and track at 3500 feet were about the same and when I looked out the right front of the aircraft in response to a call of traffic at one o'clock I was searching in about the right place. Why; then; was the aircraft seen at eleven o'clock? I wonder if the controller was looking at the other aircraft when talking to me. I would have been at the other aircraft's one o'clock. During this phase of the climb out; I had a light cockpit workload. I was not reconfiguring the aircraft or making avionics entries. I was conducting normal traffic scans and monitoring Center. I was not engaged with the passenger but was focused on flying the airplane. The Center warning alerted me to extra vigilance and had me looking out the front of the aircraft with full attention. I suspect that had Center not advised me; I would have seen the traffic later and might have been very close. I wonder why Center had the other airplane off my right when it was off my left; given that my track and heading were pretty close. This incident reinforced my awareness that 'see and avoid' is a primary responsibility whenever conditions permit. It reminded me to take ATC traffic advisories seriously but also recognize that relative position may not be what is given by ATC and one needs to look all around. I think my maneuvering was appropriate. I think I should consciously expand my traffic scan pattern to be wider in scope and more deliberate. I recently flew a formation course in which distances were estimated; so hopefully my guess of 400 feet is not too far off.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.