Narrative:

After receiving ATIS I called sjc tower on 120.7 MHZ to request a landing clearance. At that time I was approximately 10 NM nnw of the airport over fremont. The call acknowledged, I was given a squawk code and told to proceed directly to the airport for landing on runway 12L. A few mins later an small aircraft B called for landing over sunol. It was given the same information. Since I was heading for parking on the west side of sjc I requested 12R but this was refused. As I approached the airport in position for a straight in I was told I was #2 to follow an small aircraft B on my left and behind. I took this to mean small aircraft B was overtaking me from my 6 to 9 O'clock position. I could not see anyone so reported 'no contact.' this happened a second time with the same result. By this time I was 1.5 mi from the runway, so reported to the tower. The tower then instructed small aircraft B to turn away & cleared me to land. At that time I saw an small aircraft B turning away at a distance of approximately 1000' at my altitude. The small aircraft by had apparently been on downwind, which would have been on my left, but in my 10 to 11 O'clock position. I am not sure the small aircraft B I (inadvertently) cut off was the same one that reported over sunol, nor do I know how close the small aircraft B and I came. The incident did shake me up because I was continually looking for small aircraft B in the wrong area while we were obviously on a converging course. Normally traffic reports are based on the clock. This incident could probably have been avoided if tower would have called the traffic based on the clock or alternately given me some indication that behind did not mean aft of the way as I assumed. At least I would have looked in the right area. WX was clear with 15+ mi visibility throughout the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA-SMA NON ADHERENCE TO ATCT LCL CTLR CLRNC AND GIVE WAY TO SMA B CAUSED CLOSE PROX AND GO AROUND FOR OTHER SMA.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING ATIS I CALLED SJC TWR ON 120.7 MHZ TO REQUEST A LNDG CLRNC. AT THAT TIME I WAS APPROX 10 NM NNW OF THE ARPT OVER FREMONT. THE CALL ACKNOWLEDGED, I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG ON RWY 12L. A FEW MINS LATER AN SMA B CALLED FOR LNDG OVER SUNOL. IT WAS GIVEN THE SAME INFO. SINCE I WAS HEADING FOR PARKING ON THE W SIDE OF SJC I REQUESTED 12R BUT THIS WAS REFUSED. AS I APCHED THE ARPT IN POS FOR A STRAIGHT IN I WAS TOLD I WAS #2 TO FOLLOW AN SMA B ON MY LEFT AND BEHIND. I TOOK THIS TO MEAN SMA B WAS OVERTAKING ME FROM MY 6 TO 9 O'CLOCK POS. I COULD NOT SEE ANYONE SO RPTED 'NO CONTACT.' THIS HAPPENED A SECOND TIME WITH THE SAME RESULT. BY THIS TIME I WAS 1.5 MI FROM THE RWY, SO RPTED TO THE TWR. THE TWR THEN INSTRUCTED SMA B TO TURN AWAY & CLRED ME TO LAND. AT THAT TIME I SAW AN SMA B TURNING AWAY AT A DISTANCE OF APPROX 1000' AT MY ALT. THE SMA BY HAD APPARENTLY BEEN ON DOWNWIND, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY LEFT, BUT IN MY 10 TO 11 O'CLOCK POS. I AM NOT SURE THE SMA B I (INADVERTENTLY) CUT OFF WAS THE SAME ONE THAT RPTED OVER SUNOL, NOR DO I KNOW HOW CLOSE THE SMA B AND I CAME. THE INCIDENT DID SHAKE ME UP BECAUSE I WAS CONTINUALLY LOOKING FOR SMA B IN THE WRONG AREA WHILE WE WERE OBVIOUSLY ON A CONVERGING COURSE. NORMALLY TFC RPTS ARE BASED ON THE CLOCK. THIS INCIDENT COULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF TWR WOULD HAVE CALLED THE TFC BASED ON THE CLOCK OR ALTERNATELY GIVEN ME SOME INDICATION THAT BEHIND DID NOT MEAN AFT OF THE WAY AS I ASSUMED. AT LEAST I WOULD HAVE LOOKED IN THE RIGHT AREA. WX WAS CLR WITH 15+ MI VISIBILITY THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT.

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.