Small aircraft flying VFR in special air traffic rule airspace is at wrong altitude for direction of...

Attributes
ACN	142298
Time
Date	199004
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hrt
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 6100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : vps
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Experimental
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 13
ASRS Report	142298
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

When I left pfn in small aircraft X, I was handed off to eglin AFB approach. Then asked for my cruising altitude for the flight to pensacola, and I requested 5500'. They authority/authorized this altitude with no comment. Just before reaching the eglin area, traffic at my altitude and in the opp direction was called out to me. This particular traffic was way off to my left and was not a conflict, but it made me realize that an altitude of 5500' on a wbound heading was unwise. About this time, my headset began to malfunction; I could hear approach only intermittently. I took some time switching headsets, only to discover my second set had an inoperative microphone. About this time, center again called traffic to me--a flight of 3 experimental spc Y's at my altitude, again in the opp direction. I immediately requested a descent to 4500'. (I was VFR, but under flight following control from eglin.) some time was lost while I found that I could not get approach to hear me. I immediately initiated a descent, just as I heard approach request an immediate climb from me. Incidentally, I had the traffic in sight from the time it was first called to me, and I could hear their flight leader state that he had me in sight. I immediately started a climb, and a flight of spc Y's passed under me as my altimeter wound through 6100'. By then the radio was working, and I requested and got clearance to 4500'. I feel that although I should not have requested a wbound VFR altitude of 5500', eglin approach should not have authority/authorized it. According to far 91.109, if ATC authorizes it, nonstandard altitudes may be used. However, in this congested corridor with a mix of IFR/VFR/radio/no radio traffic, I should not have asked for an eastbound altitude while going wbound, and approach should not have authority/authorized it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLYING VFR IN SPECIAL AIR TRAFFIC RULE AIRSPACE IS AT WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT AND HAS CONFLICT WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC.

Narrative: WHEN I LEFT PFN IN SMA X, I WAS HANDED OFF TO EGLIN AFB APCH. THEN ASKED FOR MY CRUISING ALT FOR THE FLT TO PENSACOLA, AND I REQUESTED 5500'. THEY AUTH THIS ALT WITH NO COMMENT. JUST BEFORE REACHING THE EGLIN AREA, TFC AT MY ALT AND IN THE OPP DIRECTION WAS CALLED OUT TO ME. THIS PARTICULAR TFC WAS WAY OFF TO MY LEFT AND WAS NOT A CONFLICT, BUT IT MADE ME REALIZE THAT AN ALT OF 5500' ON A WBOUND HDG WAS UNWISE. ABOUT THIS TIME, MY HEADSET BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION; I COULD HEAR APCH ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. I TOOK SOME TIME SWITCHING HEADSETS, ONLY TO DISCOVER MY SECOND SET HAD AN INOP MIC. ABOUT THIS TIME, CENTER AGAIN CALLED TFC TO ME--A FLT OF 3 EXPERIMENTAL SPC Y'S AT MY ALT, AGAIN IN THE OPP DIRECTION. I IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A DSNT TO 4500'. (I WAS VFR, BUT UNDER FLT FOLLOWING CONTROL FROM EGLIN.) SOME TIME WAS LOST WHILE I FOUND THAT I COULD NOT GET APCH TO HEAR ME. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A DSNT, JUST AS I HEARD APCH REQUEST AN IMMEDIATE CLB FROM ME. INCIDENTALLY, I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT FROM THE TIME IT WAS FIRST CALLED TO ME, AND I COULD HEAR THEIR FLT LEADER STATE THAT HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED A CLB, AND A FLT OF SPC Y'S PASSED UNDER ME AS MY ALTIMETER WOUND THROUGH 6100'. BY THEN THE RADIO WAS WORKING, AND I REQUESTED AND GOT CLRNC TO 4500'. I FEEL THAT ALTHOUGH I SHOULD NOT HAVE REQUESTED A WBOUND VFR ALT OF 5500', EGLIN APCH SHOULD NOT HAVE AUTH IT. ACCORDING TO FAR 91.109, IF ATC AUTHORIZES IT, NONSTANDARD ALTS MAY BE USED. HOWEVER, IN THIS CONGESTED CORRIDOR WITH A MIX OF IFR/VFR/RADIO/NO RADIO TFC, I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR AN EBND ALT WHILE GOING WBOUND, AND APCH SHOULD NOT HAVE AUTH IT.

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

Small aircraft flying VFR in special air traffic rule airspace is at wrong altitude for direction of flight and has conflict with opposite direction traffic.