C172 pilot on VFR flight has traffic conflict in lax VFR corridor.

Attributes
ACN	442400
Time
Date	199907
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oxr.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sba.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sba.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-34-200 Seneca I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 132
ASRS Report	442400
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 800 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On a VFR, solo pleasure flight from vny to sba, approximately 5 NM northwest of oxr, I was heading wbound along the shoreline to sba leveled at 3500 ft MSL. I was monitoring sba approach control and planning to be within 290 NM to announce arrival intentions. I had already received the ATIS information. I spotted a twin engine airplane at my same altitude, heading eastbound, to the left side of my flight path. I intended to alter course to the right as the head-on right-of-way regulations require, when the piper seneca abruptly banked to his left, cut in front of my flight path, and flew away eastbound to the right of my flight path. Contributing factors: I recognize my error of level flying at 3500 ft MSL on a wbound heading no matter how close I was getting to the destination airport. The other fellow pilot failed to adhere to the head-on right-of-way rules of each airplane altering course to the right. The rest of the leg to sba and return leg to vny were uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ON VFR FLT HAS TFC CONFLICT IN LAX VFR CORRIDOR.

Narrative: ON A VFR, SOLO PLEASURE FLT FROM VNY TO SBA, APPROX 5 NM NW OF OXR, I WAS HDG WBOUND ALONG THE SHORELINE TO SBA LEVELED AT 3500 FT MSL. I WAS MONITORING SBA APCH CTL AND PLANNING TO BE WITHIN 290 NM TO ANNOUNCE ARR INTENTIONS. I HAD ALREADY RECEIVED THE ATIS INFO. I SPOTTED A TWIN ENG AIRPLANE AT MY SAME ALT, HDG EBOUND, TO THE L SIDE OF MY FLT PATH. I INTENDED TO ALTER COURSE TO THE R AS THE HEAD-ON RIGHT-OF-WAY REGS REQUIRE, WHEN THE PIPER SENECA ABRUPTLY BANKED TO HIS L, CUT IN FRONT OF MY FLT PATH, AND FLEW AWAY EBOUND TO THE R OF MY FLT PATH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I RECOGNIZE MY ERROR OF LEVEL FLYING AT 3500 FT MSL ON A WBOUND HDG NO MATTER HOW CLOSE I WAS GETTING TO THE DEST ARPT. THE OTHER FELLOW PLT FAILED TO ADHERE TO THE HEAD-ON RIGHT-OF-WAY RULES OF EACH AIRPLANE ALTERING COURSE TO THE R. THE REST OF THE LEG TO SBA AND RETURN LEG TO VNY WERE UNEVENTFUL.

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.