Narrative:

I flew through the la special rules area on tue afternoon in full accordance with the rules (mode C, squawking 1201, blind position reports on 122.75, 4500' nwbnd, 140 KTS IAS and with the current la VFR terminal area chart (18TH edition) open in the cockpit. I maintained 4500'/305 degree heading until I passed smo and then a) I changed frequency to monitor la approach on 134.9, B) I initiated a light climb (about 100 FPM with no increase in power) aiming to cross the top of topanga canyon (which is about 2 mi beyond the northerly boundary of the la TCA) at 5000'. After smo, I saw 3 other aircraft only: 1) an small aircraft which had preceded me through the VFR corridor, 2) a twin engine commuter aircraft, and 3) an medium large transport. (1) climbed away in the direction of vny (estimated heading 325 degrees) and I lost sight of it. (2), which approached from the west, passed over me with I estimate at least 1000' vertical sep. (3), which approached from the north, passed 1 mi to my starboard with at least 2000' vertical sep. I took no evasive action nor did I see the other aircraft take any evasive action. After the top of topanga canyon I continued climbing to 8500' in order to clear the tehachapi mountains. The remainder of the flight, mode C squawking 1200, was uneventful until I contacted (sf) bay approach near gilroy for VFR advisory service en route to my destination, sjc. Bay advised me to call (collect) la TRACON. Upon calling la TRACON at XA00 pm, I was told that they had observed my aircraft at 6100' in the la TCA and that an small transport had nearly collided with me! I explained the facts detailed above and was told, nevertheless, that I would be reported to the FAA GADO for entering the TCA west/O a clearance! I told la TRACON that I was extremely familiar with that particular section of the la TCA, having flown through it over 20 times in the last yr (12 round trips palomar to santa barbara). Additionally, since my daughter lived in topanga canyon, I know the local geography almost perfectly. Moreover, my data base LORAN has an 'airspace warning' feature which causes one red and one white light to flash continuously whenever one is under or in a TCA. I am completely certain that I never entered the TCA, that I did not climb above 5000' (the TCA floor) until 1-2 mi north of the TCA boundary and that I did not come close to any other aircraft. What I suppose happened was that la TRACON got confused about which aircraft was which. This does not surprise me because I believe there exists a radar blank spot (over the radar antenna?) somewhere in the region of smo. On IFR flts in that area (lax 316 degree right to silex intersection) I have more than once been asked by the controller to identify, presumably in order to re-establish correct aircraft identify. My recommendation is that the quality of radar coverage in this area be improved. That any confusion about aircraft identities can occur in what must be one of the busiest vols of airspace in the nation is ridiculous! Finally, I am unable to understand how a near miss could possible occur between and 2 aircraft, both squawking mode C, in a TCA. Could not a more attentive radar controller have issued a traffic warning, to the small transport, of the kind one hears so frequently: 'unidentified traffic, 12 O'clock, less than a mi, showing 6100'?' it appears to me that the performance of the radar controller was, in this case, distinctly sub-standard and should be investigated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER PROTESTS ALLEGED INCURSION INTO LAX TCA AND SUBSEQUENT CONFLICT.

Narrative: I FLEW THROUGH THE LA SPECIAL RULES AREA ON TUE AFTERNOON IN FULL ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES (MODE C, SQUAWKING 1201, BLIND POS RPTS ON 122.75, 4500' NWBND, 140 KTS IAS AND WITH THE CURRENT LA VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART (18TH EDITION) OPEN IN THE COCKPIT. I MAINTAINED 4500'/305 DEG HDG UNTIL I PASSED SMO AND THEN A) I CHANGED FREQ TO MONITOR LA APCH ON 134.9, B) I INITIATED A LIGHT CLB (ABOUT 100 FPM WITH NO INCREASE IN PWR) AIMING TO CROSS THE TOP OF TOPANGA CANYON (WHICH IS ABOUT 2 MI BEYOND THE NORTHERLY BOUNDARY OF THE LA TCA) AT 5000'. AFTER SMO, I SAW 3 OTHER ACFT ONLY: 1) AN SMA WHICH HAD PRECEDED ME THROUGH THE VFR CORRIDOR, 2) A TWIN ENG COMMUTER ACFT, AND 3) AN MLG. (1) CLBED AWAY IN THE DIRECTION OF VNY (ESTIMATED HDG 325 DEGS) AND I LOST SIGHT OF IT. (2), WHICH APCHED FROM THE W, PASSED OVER ME WITH I ESTIMATE AT LEAST 1000' VERT SEP. (3), WHICH APCHED FROM THE N, PASSED 1 MI TO MY STARBOARD WITH AT LEAST 2000' VERT SEP. I TOOK NO EVASIVE ACTION NOR DID I SEE THE OTHER ACFT TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION. AFTER THE TOP OF TOPANGA CANYON I CONTINUED CLBING TO 8500' IN ORDER TO CLR THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT, MODE C SQUAWKING 1200, WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL I CONTACTED (SF) BAY APCH NEAR GILROY FOR VFR ADVISORY SVC ENRTE TO MY DEST, SJC. BAY ADVISED ME TO CALL (COLLECT) LA TRACON. UPON CALLING LA TRACON AT XA00 PM, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD OBSERVED MY ACFT AT 6100' IN THE LA TCA AND THAT AN SMT HAD NEARLY COLLIDED WITH ME! I EXPLAINED THE FACTS DETAILED ABOVE AND WAS TOLD, NEVERTHELESS, THAT I WOULD BE RPTED TO THE FAA GADO FOR ENTERING THE TCA W/O A CLRNC! I TOLD LA TRACON THAT I WAS EXTREMELY FAMILIAR WITH THAT PARTICULAR SECTION OF THE LA TCA, HAVING FLOWN THROUGH IT OVER 20 TIMES IN THE LAST YR (12 ROUND TRIPS PALOMAR TO SANTA BARBARA). ADDITIONALLY, SINCE MY DAUGHTER LIVED IN TOPANGA CANYON, I KNOW THE LCL GEOGRAPHY ALMOST PERFECTLY. MOREOVER, MY DATA BASE LORAN HAS AN 'AIRSPACE WARNING' FEATURE WHICH CAUSES ONE RED AND ONE WHITE LIGHT TO FLASH CONTINUOUSLY WHENEVER ONE IS UNDER OR IN A TCA. I AM COMPLETELY CERTAIN THAT I NEVER ENTERED THE TCA, THAT I DID NOT CLB ABOVE 5000' (THE TCA FLOOR) UNTIL 1-2 MI N OF THE TCA BOUNDARY AND THAT I DID NOT COME CLOSE TO ANY OTHER ACFT. WHAT I SUPPOSE HAPPENED WAS THAT LA TRACON GOT CONFUSED ABOUT WHICH ACFT WAS WHICH. THIS DOES NOT SURPRISE ME BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE EXISTS A RADAR BLANK SPOT (OVER THE RADAR ANTENNA?) SOMEWHERE IN THE REGION OF SMO. ON IFR FLTS IN THAT AREA (LAX 316 DEG R TO SILEX INTXN) I HAVE MORE THAN ONCE BEEN ASKED BY THE CTLR TO IDENT, PRESUMABLY IN ORDER TO RE-ESTABLISH CORRECT ACFT IDENT. MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE QUALITY OF RADAR COVERAGE IN THIS AREA BE IMPROVED. THAT ANY CONFUSION ABOUT ACFT IDENTITIES CAN OCCUR IN WHAT MUST BE ONE OF THE BUSIEST VOLS OF AIRSPACE IN THE NATION IS RIDICULOUS! FINALLY, I AM UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW A NEAR MISS COULD POSSIBLE OCCUR BTWN AND 2 ACFT, BOTH SQUAWKING MODE C, IN A TCA. COULD NOT A MORE ATTENTIVE RADAR CTLR HAVE ISSUED A TFC WARNING, TO THE SMT, OF THE KIND ONE HEARS SO FREQUENTLY: 'UNIDENTIFIED TFC, 12 O'CLOCK, LESS THAN A MI, SHOWING 6100'?' IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE RADAR CTLR WAS, IN THIS CASE, DISTINCTLY SUB-STANDARD AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED.

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.