Narrative:

Please refer to attached illustration. The green line represents the usual track inbound to rhv from the north bay. The yellow track is another common route. The pink line represents my (approximately) flight path. While inbound to rhv, I was instructed by bay approach to turn to a heading of 090 degrees, vector for traffic, and to expect to remain on that heading for approximately 5 mi. At about the position marked 'a', I decided, since I was roughly on it anyway, to terminate flight following and proceed along the track shown by the yellow line. I was told to squawk 1200 and cleared off bay frequency. Proceeding along the pink track at 2500 ft MSL, I briefly looked down to refer to my chart for something. I was head down for about 10 seconds. Upon looking back up, I caught sight of the other aircraft in my peripheral vision at about my 9 O'clock, close aboard and passing under me. It was a white/orange C172. Our paths crossed at the position marked 'B.' my assumption is that the other aircraft was on a straight-out departure from lvk. Contributing factors include my cancellation of flight following, failure to monitor lvk, even though outside their class D airspace, going head down for any reason while crossing lvk's departure corridor at low altitude, and most glaringly, complacency about having flown this route so frequently. As an instructor, I remind my students that 'complacency is a killer.' it's very easy, with a pocket full of ratings, and hours of trouble-free operation, to feel that you are somehow immune to routine hazards -- that they only happen to lesser-qualified pilots. This is obviously a clear example of the hazardous attitude 'invulnerability.' my experience reminded me forcefully to re-examine my attitudes, and to 'practice what I preach.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLYING IN A COMMON VFR CORRIDOR HAS AN NMAC WITH A C172 THAT HAD JUST DEPARTED LVK WBOUND.

Narrative: PLEASE REFER TO ATTACHED ILLUSTRATION. THE GREEN LINE REPRESENTS THE USUAL TRACK INBOUND TO RHV FROM THE NORTH BAY. THE YELLOW TRACK IS ANOTHER COMMON RTE. THE PINK LINE REPRESENTS MY (APPROX) FLT PATH. WHILE INBOUND TO RHV, I WAS INSTRUCTED BY BAY APCH TO TURN TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS, VECTOR FOR TFC, AND TO EXPECT TO REMAIN ON THAT HDG FOR APPROX 5 MI. AT ABOUT THE POS MARKED 'A', I DECIDED, SINCE I WAS ROUGHLY ON IT ANYWAY, TO TERMINATE FLT FOLLOWING AND PROCEED ALONG THE TRACK SHOWN BY THE YELLOW LINE. I WAS TOLD TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CLRED OFF BAY FREQ. PROCEEDING ALONG THE PINK TRACK AT 2500 FT MSL, I BRIEFLY LOOKED DOWN TO REFER TO MY CHART FOR SOMETHING. I WAS HEAD DOWN FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. UPON LOOKING BACK UP, I CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE OTHER ACFT IN MY PERIPHERAL VISION AT ABOUT MY 9 O'CLOCK, CLOSE ABOARD AND PASSING UNDER ME. IT WAS A WHITE/ORANGE C172. OUR PATHS CROSSED AT THE POS MARKED 'B.' MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS ON A STRAIGHT-OUT DEP FROM LVK. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE MY CANCELLATION OF FLT FOLLOWING, FAILURE TO MONITOR LVK, EVEN THOUGH OUTSIDE THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE, GOING HEAD DOWN FOR ANY REASON WHILE XING LVK'S DEP CORRIDOR AT LOW ALT, AND MOST GLARINGLY, COMPLACENCY ABOUT HAVING FLOWN THIS RTE SO FREQUENTLY. AS AN INSTRUCTOR, I REMIND MY STUDENTS THAT 'COMPLACENCY IS A KILLER.' IT'S VERY EASY, WITH A POCKET FULL OF RATINGS, AND HRS OF TROUBLE-FREE OP, TO FEEL THAT YOU ARE SOMEHOW IMMUNE TO ROUTINE HAZARDS -- THAT THEY ONLY HAPPEN TO LESSER-QUALIFIED PLTS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A CLR EXAMPLE OF THE HAZARDOUS ATTITUDE 'INVULNERABILITY.' MY EXPERIENCE REMINDED ME FORCEFULLY TO RE-EXAMINE MY ATTITUDES, AND TO 'PRACTICE WHAT I PREACH.'

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.