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Potential conflict occurred as small aircraft pilot elected to cut the corner of an arsa which included an arrival route for jet aircraft making approachs into sjc.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 147130 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199006 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sjc |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : oak |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 147130 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 500 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Error |
Narrative:
Flew pleasure flight approach to mry. Flight down along coast under TCA on return trip decided more direct flight. Mry-watsonville-san jose-concord-napa route. While over watsonville at 4500', I noticed on sectional that heading and altitude would put in southern tip on san jose arsa where it extends to include victor 485. Contacted approach and received squawk approximately 10 mi north of watsonville. Female controller gave flight following. When crossing V-485, 4500', heading approximately 340 degrees, I heard a male controller tell me to turn heading 030 degrees for traffic. I started turning but asked for confirmation because I was listening for female controller not a males and I wasn't sure I heard right. After turning I looked at my 9 O'clock position just in time to see an air carrier (medium large transport) at same altitude descending for sjc. I had xed right in front of him. Air carrier called approach asked if 'the small aircraft who just xed in front of them was in radio contact'. Approach said I was. Air carrier replied, 'he sure is a brave soul.' that made me feel great. Approach called me and said to resume normal navigation. I was legal but not safe. Several factors involved. I should have been using TCA chart. It clearly shows a picture of jet along arwy which would have alerted me. It makes greater impact than arsa depiction on sectional. Controller should have called traffic. I know it wasn't called for me and by the air carriers reaction, I don't think they knew either. My original heading would have put them in my 4:00-5:00. Very hard to see. Controller may have been training since other controller jumped in. What I learned. Be alert. Just because in radio contact don't assume anything. Use TCA chart, even when not planning to go in TCA.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OCCURRED AS SMA PLT ELECTED TO CUT THE CORNER OF AN ARSA WHICH INCLUDED AN ARR ROUTE FOR JET ACFT MAKING APCHS INTO SJC.
Narrative: FLEW PLEASURE FLT APCH TO MRY. FLT DOWN ALONG COAST UNDER TCA ON RETURN TRIP DECIDED MORE DIRECT FLT. MRY-WATSONVILLE-SAN JOSE-CONCORD-NAPA RTE. WHILE OVER WATSONVILLE AT 4500', I NOTICED ON SECTIONAL THAT HDG AND ALT WOULD PUT IN SOUTHERN TIP ON SAN JOSE ARSA WHERE IT EXTENDS TO INCLUDE VICTOR 485. CONTACTED APCH AND RECEIVED SQUAWK APPROX 10 MI N OF WATSONVILLE. FEMALE CTLR GAVE FLT FOLLOWING. WHEN XING V-485, 4500', HDG APPROX 340 DEGS, I HEARD A MALE CTLR TELL ME TO TURN HDG 030 DEGS FOR TFC. I STARTED TURNING BUT ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION BECAUSE I WAS LISTENING FOR FEMALE CTLR NOT A MALES AND I WASN'T SURE I HEARD RIGHT. AFTER TURNING I LOOKED AT MY 9 O'CLOCK POS JUST IN TIME TO SEE AN AIR CARRIER (MLG) AT SAME ALT DSNDING FOR SJC. I HAD XED R IN FRONT OF HIM. AIR CARRIER CALLED APCH ASKED IF 'THE SMA WHO JUST XED IN FRONT OF THEM WAS IN RADIO CONTACT'. APCH SAID I WAS. AIR CARRIER REPLIED, 'HE SURE IS A BRAVE SOUL.' THAT MADE ME FEEL GREAT. APCH CALLED ME AND SAID TO RESUME NORMAL NAV. I WAS LEGAL BUT NOT SAFE. SEVERAL FACTORS INVOLVED. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN USING TCA CHART. IT CLRLY SHOWS A PICTURE OF JET ALONG ARWY WHICH WOULD HAVE ALERTED ME. IT MAKES GREATER IMPACT THAN ARSA DEPICTION ON SECTIONAL. CTLR SHOULD HAVE CALLED TFC. I KNOW IT WASN'T CALLED FOR ME AND BY THE AIR CARRIERS REACTION, I DON'T THINK THEY KNEW EITHER. MY ORIGINAL HDG WOULD HAVE PUT THEM IN MY 4:00-5:00. VERY HARD TO SEE. CTLR MAY HAVE BEEN TRNING SINCE OTHER CTLR JUMPED IN. WHAT I LEARNED. BE ALERT. JUST BECAUSE IN RADIO CONTACT DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING. USE TCA CHART, EVEN WHEN NOT PLANNING TO GO IN TCA.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.