Narrative:

On 10/90 while acting as PIC of an small aircraft, I departed sjc per the terms of a VFR clearance (turn left, follow highway 101, squawk 1200) provided by clearance delivery. At approximately .8 mi from the san jose airport and while passing through 500' MSL, san jose tower instructed me to contact moffett tower, I called. Destination, as given to clearance delivery, was palo alto airport. I contacted moffett tower as directed. Moffett tower anticipated my request and volunteered clearance through the moffett air traffic area at or above 2000' MSL. I continued climbing to 2500' MSL. The moffett tower VHF frequency was extremely garbled and difficult to understand with a great deal of backgnd noise and interference. It sounded as though there might be an open transmitter aboard an aircraft. I noted three spc aircraft in the pattern directly over moffett, I requested a frequency change to palo alto tower. I received an apparently affirmative but extremely garbled reply. I remained at 2500' MSL and on moffett frequency. Approximately 30 second later, now less than 3 mi from the palo alto runway, I asked for a confirmation of the frequency change. Again came an immediate but garbled reply in which the word 'approved' was apparently and partially discernable. I immediately contacted palo alto tower and was offered straight-in approach to runway 30, #2, traffic right base. I began a descent from 2500' MSL and noted 3 spc aircraft at the 10:00 and 2:00 position and was aware of a third at the 6:00-7:00 position (final approach to moffett). As I descended to at or about 2000' MSL, I noted the spc in the 2:00 position was still climbing and posed a potential collision hazard. I stopped the descent and prepared for evasive action. The spc leveled and passed behind me. Palo alto tower asked if I had the spc in sight and I replied in the affirmative. Palo alto tower issued clearance to land and I landed west/O further incident. My aircraft is equipped with two transceivers in good working order and a transponder which was operating, in mode C. I would like to note this is the first time I had made the journey between san jose and palo alto. Recommend clearance (san jose) not route palo alto bound aircraft via moffett airspace, palo alto not accept or recommend straight-in when spc are operating, check transmitter relay on VHF units spc, aircraft particularly 'specific aircraft'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA-SMA MIL-SPC NEAR NUQ.

Narrative: ON 10/90 WHILE ACTING AS PIC OF AN SMA, I DEPARTED SJC PER THE TERMS OF A VFR CLRNC (TURN L, FOLLOW HWY 101, SQUAWK 1200) PROVIDED BY CLRNC DELIVERY. AT APPROX .8 MI FROM THE SAN JOSE ARPT AND WHILE PASSING THROUGH 500' MSL, SAN JOSE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT MOFFETT TWR, I CALLED. DEST, AS GIVEN TO CLRNC DELIVERY, WAS PALO ALTO ARPT. I CONTACTED MOFFETT TWR AS DIRECTED. MOFFETT TWR ANTICIPATED MY REQUEST AND VOLUNTEERED CLRNC THROUGH THE MOFFETT ATA AT OR ABOVE 2000' MSL. I CONTINUED CLBING TO 2500' MSL. THE MOFFETT TWR VHF FREQ WAS EXTREMELY GARBLED AND DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WITH A GREAT DEAL OF BACKGND NOISE AND INTERFERENCE. IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH THERE MIGHT BE AN OPEN XMITTER ABOARD AN ACFT. I NOTED THREE SPC ACFT IN THE PATTERN DIRECTLY OVER MOFFETT, I REQUESTED A FREQ CHANGE TO PALO ALTO TWR. I RECEIVED AN APPARENTLY AFFIRMATIVE BUT EXTREMELY GARBLED REPLY. I REMAINED AT 2500' MSL AND ON MOFFETT FREQ. APPROX 30 SEC LATER, NOW LESS THAN 3 MI FROM THE PALO ALTO RWY, I ASKED FOR A CONFIRMATION OF THE FREQ CHANGE. AGAIN CAME AN IMMEDIATE BUT GARBLED REPLY IN WHICH THE WORD 'APPROVED' WAS APPARENTLY AND PARTIALLY DISCERNABLE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED PALO ALTO TWR AND WAS OFFERED STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 30, #2, TFC R BASE. I BEGAN A DSNT FROM 2500' MSL AND NOTED 3 SPC ACFT AT THE 10:00 AND 2:00 POS AND WAS AWARE OF A THIRD AT THE 6:00-7:00 POS (FINAL APCH TO MOFFETT). AS I DSNDED TO AT OR ABOUT 2000' MSL, I NOTED THE SPC IN THE 2:00 POS WAS STILL CLBING AND POSED A POTENTIAL COLLISION HAZARD. I STOPPED THE DSNT AND PREPARED FOR EVASIVE ACTION. THE SPC LEVELED AND PASSED BEHIND ME. PALO ALTO TWR ASKED IF I HAD THE SPC IN SIGHT AND I REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. PALO ALTO TWR ISSUED CLRNC TO LAND AND I LANDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. MY ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO TRANSCEIVERS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND A XPONDER WHICH WAS OPERATING, IN MODE C. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAD MADE THE JOURNEY BTWN SAN JOSE AND PALO ALTO. RECOMMEND CLRNC (SAN JOSE) NOT RTE PALO ALTO BOUND ACFT VIA MOFFETT AIRSPACE, PALO ALTO NOT ACCEPT OR RECOMMEND STRAIGHT-IN WHEN SPC ARE OPERATING, CHK XMITTER RELAY ON VHF UNITS SPC, ACFT PARTICULARLY 'SPECIFIC ACFT'.

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.