back in 1984 I was flying home on American Airlines, from a trip in Europe.

I had a window seat, and while we were flying west, I spotted a jet off to the right that was flying south, at or very near to our altitude.

At first it looked like there would be no problem, but after about ten seconds, I could see that we were converging on the same spot in the sky. I sat up, and paid very close attention.

The other jetliner, passed VERY close behind us.

This all happened out over the Atlantic ocean, where there is no radar coverage. Because if there were radar, I'm sure this would have gone down as a near miss.

A miss is a miss, Roy...I would call that a near hit.

;)

Some old dude on the radio is always whining about people saying 'accident' when they should say 'collision'. he says a collison isn't an accident because all the conditions needed to make a collision were perfect not accidental.

That's why we have TCAS.

You might have been lucky that you were already out over the ocean, Roy B. The cargo plane that hit the Russian charter jet in 2002 did so because ATC countermanded the suggestion of TCAS II and flew the planes into each other.

A minute apart is 12 to 14 miles. TCAS over rides controllers instructions.

FAR Part 91.3 Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command. (a) The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft. (b) In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot in command may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency. (c) Each pilot in command who deviates from a rule under paragraph (b) of this section shall, upon the request of the Administrator, send a written report of that deviation to the Administrator.

This Summer marks my 40th year with a Commercial Pilot license.

Wow minutes. I went to the Cleveland air show yesterday and it was milliseconds over Lake Erie.