Narrative:

All bay area airports were landing to the southeast on this day and my student and I were departing pao on a straight out departure on runway 12. When we reached 500' AGL, we were handed off to moffett tower. On initial contact with moffett tower we requested to climb through the air traffic area to 3500' MSL to clear sjc's air traffic area for air work and transition over the airport. Moffett tower instructed us to remain below 1500' MSL because of jet traffic landing at sjc. We complied. Approximately 15 seconds later, tower advised us that the altitude restriction was cancelled and continue our climb. I questioned the controller on the new instructions and he reconfirmed the clearance he gave us. We began our climb 80 KTS as to have good visibility over the nose. After about 1:30 moffett tower asked us our position. I reported that we were 1 mi south of the airport. At this time we were climbing through 2800' MSL. The tower came back with, 'roger, frequency changed approved.' ok, fine, so we did. I flipped over to 124.0 for sjc while I instructed my student to turn to a heading of south to remain clear of sjc's air traffic area. When we rolled out on a heading of south I had sjc on the radio and caught the end of a transmission: '...traffic alert.' at this time I was looking out my right window and the silver fuselage of an airlines medium large transport caught by eye, directly below me with about 300-500' of clearance. I believe bay approach was responsible for this airspace and moffett tower did not advise me to contact bay approach. I find moffett tower guilty of not handing us off to bay approach whose coverage in this area I believe starts at 2000' MSL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA-SMA ACR-MLG IN SJC ATA.

Narrative: ALL BAY AREA ARPTS WERE LNDG TO THE SE ON THIS DAY AND MY STUDENT AND I WERE DEPARTING PAO ON A STRAIGHT OUT DEP ON RWY 12. WHEN WE REACHED 500' AGL, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO MOFFETT TWR. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH MOFFETT TWR WE REQUESTED TO CLB THROUGH THE ATA TO 3500' MSL TO CLR SJC'S ATA FOR AIR WORK AND TRANSITION OVER THE ARPT. MOFFETT TWR INSTRUCTED US TO REMAIN BELOW 1500' MSL BECAUSE OF JET TFC LNDG AT SJC. WE COMPLIED. APPROX 15 SECS LATER, TWR ADVISED US THAT THE ALT RESTRICTION WAS CANCELLED AND CONTINUE OUR CLB. I QUESTIONED THE CTLR ON THE NEW INSTRUCTIONS AND HE RECONFIRMED THE CLRNC HE GAVE US. WE BEGAN OUR CLB 80 KTS AS TO HAVE GOOD VISIBILITY OVER THE NOSE. AFTER ABOUT 1:30 MOFFETT TWR ASKED US OUR POS. I RPTED THAT WE WERE 1 MI S OF THE ARPT. AT THIS TIME WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 2800' MSL. THE TWR CAME BACK WITH, 'ROGER, FREQ CHANGED APPROVED.' OK, FINE, SO WE DID. I FLIPPED OVER TO 124.0 FOR SJC WHILE I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO TURN TO A HDG OF S TO REMAIN CLR OF SJC'S ATA. WHEN WE ROLLED OUT ON A HDG OF S I HAD SJC ON THE RADIO AND CAUGHT THE END OF A XMISSION: '...TFC ALERT.' AT THIS TIME I WAS LOOKING OUT MY RIGHT WINDOW AND THE SILVER FUSELAGE OF AN AIRLINES MLG CAUGHT BY EYE, DIRECTLY BELOW ME WITH ABOUT 300-500' OF CLRNC. I BELIEVE BAY APCH WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AIRSPACE AND MOFFETT TWR DID NOT ADVISE ME TO CONTACT BAY APCH. I FIND MOFFETT TWR GUILTY OF NOT HANDING US OFF TO BAY APCH WHOSE COVERAGE IN THIS AREA I BELIEVE STARTS AT 2000' MSL.

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.