Narrative:

After checking in on 120.4 we were cleared off our assigned heading of 040 degree to go direct bdr VOR, maintaining 10000'. The controller pointed out traffic at 11 O'clock. We looked in that direction and could not see anything, however, we did see traffic in our 1 O'clock position. Since it was early evening all we could see was a distant cluster of lights. During the next few seconds we observed the lights off the right side to rapidly pass under our plane. It was then that we realized the aircraft was in close proximity to our own. It was small transport Y size twin turboprop and fortunately he saw us against the light in the western sky as we could not ascertain whether or not he was a threat until too late to do anything. Lighting was a definite factor. Both aircraft were under IFR control. The twin turboprop took the evasive action. (About 10 degree nose down as he went about 100' directly below us) upon arrival at bos we contacted departure in new york. The supervisor informed us that is had been a system error and the controller involved had been removed from his duties. I should have been clearing more aggressively but I (first officer) was on the gauges trying to improve my instrument xchk for the winter months. Supplemental information from acn 99501: ATC vectored me onto a collision course with an airliner. Controller was relieved of duty following this incident. I evaded a likely collision by aborting my climb and turn, descending some on a steady heading. Air carrier X passed me over head by less than 500'. Had we been IMC, a collision was extremely probable. ATC did not hold me culpable. We operate with 2 pilots. The copilot was a great help in coping with this matter. I am, as a result of this incident, considering the installation of a cockpit voice recorder. The controller was having to talk to a couple of VFR pop-ups during the 2 min or so that led to this. No injuries or damage occurred during evasive maneuver. There's just too many planes in the sky in the ny area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION AND NMAC BETWEEN ACR AND CORP ACFT. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: AFTER CHECKING IN ON 120.4 WE WERE CLRED OFF OUR ASSIGNED HEADING OF 040 DEG TO GO DIRECT BDR VOR, MAINTAINING 10000'. THE CTLR POINTED OUT TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK. WE LOOKED IN THAT DIRECTION AND COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING, HOWEVER, WE DID SEE TFC IN OUR 1 O'CLOCK POSITION. SINCE IT WAS EARLY EVENING ALL WE COULD SEE WAS A DISTANT CLUSTER OF LIGHTS. DURING THE NEXT FEW SECONDS WE OBSERVED THE LIGHTS OFF THE RIGHT SIDE TO RAPIDLY PASS UNDER OUR PLANE. IT WAS THEN THAT WE REALIZED THE ACFT WAS IN CLOSE PROX TO OUR OWN. IT WAS SMT Y SIZE TWIN TURBOPROP AND FORTUNATELY HE SAW US AGAINST THE LIGHT IN THE WESTERN SKY AS WE COULD NOT ASCERTAIN WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS A THREAT UNTIL TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING. LIGHTING WAS A DEFINITE FACTOR. BOTH ACFT WERE UNDER IFR CONTROL. THE TWIN TURBOPROP TOOK THE EVASIVE ACTION. (ABOUT 10 DEG NOSE DOWN AS HE WENT ABOUT 100' DIRECTLY BELOW US) UPON ARR AT BOS WE CONTACTED DEP IN NEW YORK. THE SUPVR INFORMED US THAT IS HAD BEEN A SYSTEM ERROR AND THE CTLR INVOLVED HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM HIS DUTIES. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEARING MORE AGGRESSIVELY BUT I (F/O) WAS ON THE GAUGES TRYING TO IMPROVE MY INSTRUMENT XCHK FOR THE WINTER MONTHS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 99501: ATC VECTORED ME ONTO A COLLISION COURSE WITH AN AIRLINER. CTLR WAS RELIEVED OF DUTY FOLLOWING THIS INCIDENT. I EVADED A LIKELY COLLISION BY ABORTING MY CLB AND TURN, DSNDING SOME ON A STEADY HEADING. ACR X PASSED ME OVER HEAD BY LESS THAN 500'. HAD WE BEEN IMC, A COLLISION WAS EXTREMELY PROBABLE. ATC DID NOT HOLD ME CULPABLE. WE OPERATE WITH 2 PLTS. THE COPLT WAS A GREAT HELP IN COPING WITH THIS MATTER. I AM, AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, CONSIDERING THE INSTALLATION OF A COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER. THE CTLR WAS HAVING TO TALK TO A COUPLE OF VFR POP-UPS DURING THE 2 MIN OR SO THAT LED TO THIS. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING EVASIVE MANEUVER. THERE'S JUST TOO MANY PLANES IN THE SKY IN THE NY AREA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.