Narrative:

I was flying VFR from el monte airport to vny at 2500'. At the pasadena rose bowl I reported my position, altitude and intention to fly to vny by radio to bur approach. They assigned a radar code, acknowledged radar contact and told me to fly over the ventura freeway to vny. When I passed glendale and was about 3-4 NM southeast of bur I noticed a twin engined jet aircraft heading straight at me at high speed. I estimated that the aircraft, which took off from bur airport, was climbing at about 3000 FPM. I had no time to take any meaningful evading action and maintained the assigned heading and altitude. The twin engined jet passed me on my right. It was a white aircraft with black or dark blue trim, an air carrier medium large transport aircraft. The whole event took only a few seconds. The aircraft was so close that I was able to see the pilot's head in the jet. The crew of the jet aircraft notified bur that, 'we have traffic here less than 500' away.' there was no reply from bur. I continued my flight over the ventura freeway and near the van nuys city hall I received instructions to 'squawk 1200' and contact vny tower. The tower instructed me to enter pattern and I made an uneventful landing on runway 16L. I am very much disturbed by this event because I just recently installed another radio and updated my transponder to mode C. My transponder was squawking altitude, therefore bur had all the information necessary to separate the jet aircraft from my rather slow (110 KTS) aircraft. This incident convinced me that the currently advocated ATC system is not workable. During my very short flight from elm to vny I had to use 7 different 5-6 digit VFR frequencys, 1 4-DIGIT transponder code, be familiar with the la freeway system and watch out for landmarks plus see and be seen! Our current system is an invitation for disaster. The FAA, with over 50000 employees and a yearly allotment of $6.7 billion should do much better. Considering that there are only 4800 us registered passenger airplanes flying in the system, the long established military ascent and descent corridor practice is long overdue.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA-SMA ACR-MLG IN BUR ARSA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR FROM EL MONTE ARPT TO VNY AT 2500'. AT THE PASADENA ROSE BOWL I RPTED MY POS, ALT AND INTENTION TO FLY TO VNY BY RADIO TO BUR APCH. THEY ASSIGNED A RADAR CODE, ACKNOWLEDGED RADAR CONTACT AND TOLD ME TO FLY OVER THE VENTURA FREEWAY TO VNY. WHEN I PASSED GLENDALE AND WAS ABOUT 3-4 NM SE OF BUR I NOTICED A TWIN ENGINED JET ACFT HDG STRAIGHT AT ME AT HIGH SPD. I ESTIMATED THAT THE ACFT, WHICH TOOK OFF FROM BUR ARPT, WAS CLBING AT ABOUT 3000 FPM. I HAD NO TIME TO TAKE ANY MEANINGFUL EVADING ACTION AND MAINTAINED THE ASSIGNED HDG AND ALT. THE TWIN ENGINED JET PASSED ME ON MY RIGHT. IT WAS A WHITE ACFT WITH BLACK OR DARK BLUE TRIM, AN ACR MLG ACFT. THE WHOLE EVENT TOOK ONLY A FEW SECS. THE ACFT WAS SO CLOSE THAT I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE PLT'S HEAD IN THE JET. THE CREW OF THE JET ACFT NOTIFIED BUR THAT, 'WE HAVE TFC HERE LESS THAN 500' AWAY.' THERE WAS NO REPLY FROM BUR. I CONTINUED MY FLT OVER THE VENTURA FREEWAY AND NEAR THE VAN NUYS CITY HALL I RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO 'SQUAWK 1200' AND CONTACT VNY TWR. THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO ENTER PATTERN AND I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 16L. I AM VERY MUCH DISTURBED BY THIS EVENT BECAUSE I JUST RECENTLY INSTALLED ANOTHER RADIO AND UPDATED MY XPONDER TO MODE C. MY XPONDER WAS SQUAWKING ALT, THEREFORE BUR HAD ALL THE INFO NECESSARY TO SEPARATE THE JET ACFT FROM MY RATHER SLOW (110 KTS) ACFT. THIS INCIDENT CONVINCED ME THAT THE CURRENTLY ADVOCATED ATC SYS IS NOT WORKABLE. DURING MY VERY SHORT FLT FROM ELM TO VNY I HAD TO USE 7 DIFFERENT 5-6 DIGIT VFR FREQS, 1 4-DIGIT XPONDER CODE, BE FAMILIAR WITH THE LA FREEWAY SYS AND WATCH OUT FOR LANDMARKS PLUS SEE AND BE SEEN! OUR CURRENT SYS IS AN INVITATION FOR DISASTER. THE FAA, WITH OVER 50000 EMPLOYEES AND A YEARLY ALLOTMENT OF $6.7 BILLION SHOULD DO MUCH BETTER. CONSIDERING THAT THERE ARE ONLY 4800 U.S. REGISTERED PAX AIRPLANES FLYING IN THE SYS, THE LONG ESTABLISHED MIL ASCENT AND DSCNT CORRIDOR PRACTICE IS LONG OVERDUE.

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.