Light single engine aircraft misidentifies traffic, has near midair collision with jet.

Attributes
ACN	117722
Time
Date	198907
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sjc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : v107
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 38 flight time total : 190 flight time type : 38
ASRS Report	117722
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	vertical : 450
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was climbing out of 6500' to 9500' in the proximity of V107 south of vinco intersection. There was a lot of traffic that night. Bay departure called traffic Y to me at 2 O'clock wbound. I saw traffic and reported I had traffic, but it was so far away that I could not distinguish as a jet and it did not appear to be heading wbound. I continued climbing. A minute or so later, my wife (copilot seat of small aircraft X) said something to the effect that there was a plane heading right for us. I looked out the right window and immediately pushed over the nose. The jet passed right overhead at 7000' according to bay approach when I called them the next day. I immediately went on the radio and reported to bay departure that a jet flew directly overhead at less than 1000'. The controller said that I had the traffic and I agreed but I did not know at the time the controller called the traffic and the time I said I had the traffic that it would pass directly overhead at such a close altitude. I feel the controller should have informed me to maintain at or below 5500 and that a jet would be passing overhead or vectored me to a different route. In discussing this with 'a' (quality assurance bay approach) the next day, he agreed that legally they had no other responsibilities, but morally they should have done something else. According to 'a' bay approach is retraining their controller due to this incident. Talking with 'a', I was informed that the controller that was supposed to be handling this airspace (oakland and sfo arrival) was so busy that another controller was handling this airspace. This particular controller handling this airspace was unfamiliar with the arrival routes and altitudes, aircraft into oakland and sfo. He was not talking to the jet, only to me, and did not know the jet was descending into oakland.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LIGHT SINGLE ENGINE ACFT MISIDENTIFIES TRAFFIC, HAS NMAC WITH JET.

Narrative: I WAS CLIMBING OUT OF 6500' TO 9500' IN THE PROX OF V107 S OF VINCO INTXN. THERE WAS A LOT OF TFC THAT NIGHT. BAY DEP CALLED TFC Y TO ME AT 2 O'CLOCK WBOUND. I SAW TFC AND REPORTED I HAD TFC, BUT IT WAS SO FAR AWAY THAT I COULD NOT DISTINGUISH AS A JET AND IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE HDG WBOUND. I CONTINUED CLIMBING. A MINUTE OR SO LATER, MY WIFE (COPLT SEAT OF SMA X) SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT THERE WAS A PLANE HDG RIGHT FOR US. I LOOKED OUT THE RIGHT WINDOW AND IMMEDIATELY PUSHED OVER THE NOSE. THE JET PASSED RIGHT OVERHEAD AT 7000' ACCORDING TO BAY APCH WHEN I CALLED THEM THE NEXT DAY. I IMMEDIATELY WENT ON THE RADIO AND REPORTED TO BAY DEP THAT A JET FLEW DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AT LESS THAN 1000'. THE CTLR SAID THAT I HAD THE TFC AND I AGREED BUT I DID NOT KNOW AT THE TIME THE CTLR CALLED THE TFC AND THE TIME I SAID I HAD THE TFC THAT IT WOULD PASS DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AT SUCH A CLOSE ALT. I FEEL THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ME TO MAINTAIN AT OR BELOW 5500 AND THAT A JET WOULD BE PASSING OVERHEAD OR VECTORED ME TO A DIFFERENT ROUTE. IN DISCUSSING THIS WITH 'A' (QUALITY ASSURANCE BAY APCH) THE NEXT DAY, HE AGREED THAT LEGALLY THEY HAD NO OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT MORALLY THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ELSE. ACCORDING TO 'A' BAY APCH IS RETRAINING THEIR CTLR DUE TO THIS INCIDENT. TALKING WITH 'A', I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CTLR THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HANDLING THIS AIRSPACE (OAKLAND AND SFO ARRIVAL) WAS SO BUSY THAT ANOTHER CTLR WAS HANDLING THIS AIRSPACE. THIS PARTICULAR CTLR HANDLING THIS AIRSPACE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARRIVAL ROUTES AND ALTS, ACFT INTO OAKLAND AND SFO. HE WAS NOT TALKING TO THE JET, ONLY TO ME, AND DID NOT KNOW THE JET WAS DESCENDING INTO OAKLAND.

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.