Near midair collision between an small aircraft sel approaching class C airspace under instructions ...

Attributes
ACN	384669
Time
Date	199711
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rhv airport : sjc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 2010 flight time type : 1460
ASRS Report	384669
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 400 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Going to sjc runway 30R. Called bay approach abeam south county airport and received standard instruction to fly to sjc via rhv at or above 2500 ft. Bay approach called traffic (a cessna cardinal) opposite direction at 3500 ft. Got visual on the traffic at 2 O'clock position. Almost immediately, saw a C182 directly in front of me, opposite direction, same altitude. Made climbing left turn to avoid a collision. The C182 was not called out by bay approach and according to my GPS moving map the aircraft was right on the edge of class C airspace. This is the 3RD near miss I have experienced in about the same area in the past 11 months, all involving opposite direction VFR aircraft in very good VMC conditions. All have occurred following GA arrival procedures change to sjc. Previously, arriving aircraft to sjc from the southeast were in class C airspace. Now, arriving aircraft are kept out of class C airspace and routed over rhv to enter right base runway 30R at sjc. The opposite direction traffic stays out of class C airspace apparently using rhv as a visual check point to avoid class C. The current VFR arrival procedure to sjc routing aircraft over rhv and out of sjc class C airspace is a midair waiting to happen. I reported this incident to a supervisor at bay TRACON and was informed they could do nothing about this seemingly dangerous situation. Recommendation: return GA southeast arrival procedures to sjc to the previous procedures, ie, keeping VFR arrs within sjc class C airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN SMA SEL APCHING CLASS C AIRSPACE UNDER INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH CTL AND A C182 IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OUTBOUND. OTHER TFC HAD BEEN GIVEN BY ATC BUT NOT THIS ACFT. RPTR MADE A L TURN TO AVOID A POTENTIAL COLLISION.

Narrative: GOING TO SJC RWY 30R. CALLED BAY APCH ABEAM SOUTH COUNTY ARPT AND RECEIVED STANDARD INSTRUCTION TO FLY TO SJC VIA RHV AT OR ABOVE 2500 FT. BAY APCH CALLED TFC (A CESSNA CARDINAL) OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT 3500 FT. GOT VISUAL ON THE TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK POS. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, SAW A C182 DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME, OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAME ALT. MADE CLBING L TURN TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE C182 WAS NOT CALLED OUT BY BAY APCH AND ACCORDING TO MY GPS MOVING MAP THE ACFT WAS RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF CLASS C AIRSPACE. THIS IS THE 3RD NEAR MISS I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN ABOUT THE SAME AREA IN THE PAST 11 MONTHS, ALL INVOLVING OPPOSITE DIRECTION VFR ACFT IN VERY GOOD VMC CONDITIONS. ALL HAVE OCCURRED FOLLOWING GA ARR PROCS CHANGE TO SJC. PREVIOUSLY, ARRIVING ACFT TO SJC FROM THE SE WERE IN CLASS C AIRSPACE. NOW, ARRIVING ACFT ARE KEPT OUT OF CLASS C AIRSPACE AND ROUTED OVER RHV TO ENTER R BASE RWY 30R AT SJC. THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC STAYS OUT OF CLASS C AIRSPACE APPARENTLY USING RHV AS A VISUAL CHK POINT TO AVOID CLASS C. THE CURRENT VFR ARR PROC TO SJC ROUTING ACFT OVER RHV AND OUT OF SJC CLASS C AIRSPACE IS A MIDAIR WAITING TO HAPPEN. I RPTED THIS INCIDENT TO A SUPVR AT BAY TRACON AND WAS INFORMED THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS SEEMINGLY DANGEROUS SIT. RECOMMENDATION: RETURN GA SE ARR PROCS TO SJC TO THE PREVIOUS PROCS, IE, KEEPING VFR ARRS WITHIN SJC CLASS C AIRSPACE.

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.

Near midair collision between an small aircraft sel approaching class C airspace under instructions from approach control and a C182 in the opposite direction outbound. Other traffic had been given by ATC but not this aircraft. Reporter made a left turn to avoid a potential collision.