Narrative:

Departed pao on VFR flight to stockton, received permission from pao tower for frequency change when approximately midspan the dumbarton bridge (halfway across san francisco bay). Contacted bay approach/departure on 135.4 and informed I was, 'off pao, climbing 2.- for 3.5 to stockton.' was told to 'standby for squawk code.' at this time I had my altitude encoding transponder set on 1200 with altimeter function operating (which it had been since lift off. There was a greater than usual delay in receiving a squawk code. Finally when nearing the east side of fremont, approaching the foothills known as the sunol pass, the controller gave me a code and told me to 'identify,' which I immediately did. About 1 min later I suddenly looked up and saw another similar low wing aircraft headed directly toward me from my 11 O'clock position. He was headed generally southwest toward san jose. I immediately initiated a climbing right turn and he passed under me. I called the controller and advised of the traffic conflict that had not been reported and he merely said, 'roger.' I replied, 'well, it obviously makes me a lot more uncomfortable than it makes you.' he responded that he did not have me in radar contact (though it had been about a minute since I had begun broadcasting a discrete code and had idented), but that he now had radar contact. I believe that both the controller and myself should have been more attentive, and I resent his denial and seeming lack of concern. I do not know if the other aircraft was participating in flight following, and I doubt if he ever saw me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter gave estimated miss distance as 0' horizontal and 150' vertical. Reporter did not file any near midair collision report with FAA as he is apprehensive about such reports involving him in possible certificate action. Reporter gave his permission to change word in his narrative from 'frequency' to 'code' when referring to transponder code assignment. Cannot get code through pao tower prior to takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN 2 SMA-GA'S.

Narrative: DEPARTED PAO ON VFR FLT TO STOCKTON, RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM PAO TWR FOR FREQ CHANGE WHEN APPROX MIDSPAN THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE (HALFWAY ACROSS SAN FRANCISCO BAY). CONTACTED BAY APCH/DEP ON 135.4 AND INFORMED I WAS, 'OFF PAO, CLBING 2.- FOR 3.5 TO STOCKTON.' WAS TOLD TO 'STANDBY FOR SQUAWK CODE.' AT THIS TIME I HAD MY ALT ENCODING TRANSPONDER SET ON 1200 WITH ALTIMETER FUNCTION OPERATING (WHICH IT HAD BEEN SINCE LIFT OFF. THERE WAS A GREATER THAN USUAL DELAY IN RECEIVING A SQUAWK CODE. FINALLY WHEN NEARING THE E SIDE OF FREMONT, APCHING THE FOOTHILLS KNOWN AS THE SUNOL PASS, THE CTLR GAVE ME A CODE AND TOLD ME TO 'IDENT,' WHICH I IMMEDIATELY DID. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER I SUDDENLY LOOKED UP AND SAW ANOTHER SIMILAR LOW WING ACFT HEADED DIRECTLY TOWARD ME FROM MY 11 O'CLOCK POS. HE WAS HEADED GENERALLY SW TOWARD SAN JOSE. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A CLBING RIGHT TURN AND HE PASSED UNDER ME. I CALLED THE CTLR AND ADVISED OF THE TFC CONFLICT THAT HAD NOT BEEN RPTED AND HE MERELY SAID, 'ROGER.' I REPLIED, 'WELL, IT OBVIOUSLY MAKES ME A LOT MORE UNCOMFORTABLE THAN IT MAKES YOU.' HE RESPONDED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ME IN RADAR CONTACT (THOUGH IT HAD BEEN ABOUT A MINUTE SINCE I HAD BEGUN BROADCASTING A DISCRETE CODE AND HAD IDENTED), BUT THAT HE NOW HAD RADAR CONTACT. I BELIEVE THAT BOTH THE CTLR AND MYSELF SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE, AND I RESENT HIS DENIAL AND SEEMING LACK OF CONCERN. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE OTHER ACFT WAS PARTICIPATING IN FLT FOLLOWING, AND I DOUBT IF HE EVER SAW ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER GAVE ESTIMATED MISS DISTANCE AS 0' HORIZ AND 150' VERT. RPTR DID NOT FILE ANY NMAC REPORT WITH FAA AS HE IS APPREHENSIVE ABOUT SUCH RPTS INVOLVING HIM IN POSSIBLE CERTIFICATE ACTION. RPTR GAVE HIS PERMISSION TO CHANGE WORD IN HIS NARRATIVE FROM 'FREQ' TO 'CODE' WHEN REFERRING TO TRANSPONDER CODE ASSIGNMENT. CANNOT GET CODE THROUGH PAO TWR PRIOR TO TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.