Narrative:

I was cruising at 9500 ft en route to L35 under flight following. ATC gave a TA of a passenger jet descending from the east at 10 O'clock position, to my position, 10 mi away restr to 10000 ft and cautioned me of wake turbulence. I searched for the jet and did not find it initially. In the meantime I was planning my arrival to L35 and I began a descent to lake arrowhead which I had mistaken for L35. I donT know how far I descended but quickly realized my error and started a climb. A short time passed and I looked up and saw the jet at the same time I heard ATC talking to the jet and the jet did not see me. ATC called me and asked if I had the jet and I said yes and it looks like we are on a converging course. The controller said 'that is why I cautioned you about wake turbulence.' the jet at the same time announced he was executing a TCASII direction to climb, I executed a descent. At no time were we close but I was less than 500 ft below his altitude. I don't know exactly what my altitude was at this point but it could not have been more than 9700 ft. I think what happened was I overshot 9500 ft when I was recovering from the descent and saw the jet. The pilot of the jet was heard to say he thought we were converging also. He said this with his microphone keyed not intending to say it to ATC because when ATC asked him to repeat he said 'disregard.' I again began preparing for my arrival to L35 and called, got the awas at L35 and then called ATC to terminate flight following. He asked me to stand by, in the meantime I began preparing to descend to L35 as part of this I changed the altimeter setting from around 30.02, the ont setting which I cannot remember exactly, to 30.29, the big bear setting. Shortly after this ATC called and asked me what happened and said they were wondering why I was climbing and what was my current altitude. I said my altimeter read 10200 ft but that would not track with them because I had already changed my altimeter setting. Other contributing factors were fatigue, ironically I had spent the day flight training with some ground school, simulator time and a BFR and ipc completed successfully. I was 15 mins from home and thinking more about getting there than flying. This incident underlines the need to hold altitude and impresses on me the need to be always aware of the situation as it develops. Maybe this report will help other pilots understand the need to be alert and precise.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PLT OF A VFR C210 ENRTE TO L35 WITH FLT FOLLOWING EXCEEDED HIS ALT. A CONVERGING PAX JET AT 10000 FT EXECUTED A TCASII EVASIVE MANEUVER.

Narrative: I WAS CRUISING AT 9500 FT ENRTE TO L35 UNDER FLT FOLLOWING. ATC GAVE A TA OF A PAX JET DSNDING FROM THE E AT 10 O'CLOCK POS, TO MY POS, 10 MI AWAY RESTR TO 10000 FT AND CAUTIONED ME OF WAKE TURB. I SEARCHED FOR THE JET AND DID NOT FIND IT INITIALLY. IN THE MEANTIME I WAS PLANNING MY ARR TO L35 AND I BEGAN A DSCNT TO LAKE ARROWHEAD WHICH I HAD MISTAKEN FOR L35. I DONT KNOW HOW FAR I DSNDED BUT QUICKLY REALIZED MY ERROR AND STARTED A CLB. A SHORT TIME PASSED AND I LOOKED UP AND SAW THE JET AT THE SAME TIME I HEARD ATC TALKING TO THE JET AND THE JET DID NOT SEE ME. ATC CALLED ME AND ASKED IF I HAD THE JET AND I SAID YES AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE ON A CONVERGING COURSE. THE CTLR SAID 'THAT IS WHY I CAUTIONED YOU ABOUT WAKE TURB.' THE JET AT THE SAME TIME ANNOUNCED HE WAS EXECUTING A TCASII DIRECTION TO CLB, I EXECUTED A DSCNT. AT NO TIME WERE WE CLOSE BUT I WAS LESS THAN 500 FT BELOW HIS ALT. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT MY ALT WAS AT THIS POINT BUT IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 9700 FT. I THINK WHAT HAPPENED WAS I OVERSHOT 9500 FT WHEN I WAS RECOVERING FROM THE DSCNT AND SAW THE JET. THE PLT OF THE JET WAS HEARD TO SAY HE THOUGHT WE WERE CONVERGING ALSO. HE SAID THIS WITH HIS MIKE KEYED NOT INTENDING TO SAY IT TO ATC BECAUSE WHEN ATC ASKED HIM TO REPEAT HE SAID 'DISREGARD.' I AGAIN BEGAN PREPARING FOR MY ARR TO L35 AND CALLED, GOT THE AWAS AT L35 AND THEN CALLED ATC TO TERMINATE FLT FOLLOWING. HE ASKED ME TO STAND BY, IN THE MEANTIME I BEGAN PREPARING TO DSND TO L35 AS PART OF THIS I CHANGED THE ALTIMETER SETTING FROM AROUND 30.02, THE ONT SETTING WHICH I CANNOT REMEMBER EXACTLY, TO 30.29, THE BIG BEAR SETTING. SHORTLY AFTER THIS ATC CALLED AND ASKED ME WHAT HAPPENED AND SAID THEY WERE WONDERING WHY I WAS CLBING AND WHAT WAS MY CURRENT ALT. I SAID MY ALTIMETER READ 10200 FT BUT THAT WOULD NOT TRACK WITH THEM BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY CHANGED MY ALTIMETER SETTING. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE FATIGUE, IRONICALLY I HAD SPENT THE DAY FLT TRAINING WITH SOME GND SCHOOL, SIMULATOR TIME AND A BFR AND IPC COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY. I WAS 15 MINS FROM HOME AND THINKING MORE ABOUT GETTING THERE THAN FLYING. THIS INCIDENT UNDERLINES THE NEED TO HOLD ALT AND IMPRESSES ON ME THE NEED TO BE ALWAYS AWARE OF THE SIT AS IT DEVELOPS. MAYBE THIS RPT WILL HELP OTHER PLTS UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO BE ALERT AND PRECISE.

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.