Narrative:

While returning from the southeast to california in my small aircraft, I had an experience with the ATC system which suggests that a hazard exists, correctable by the addition of information to VFR and en route low altitude charts, or other means. On aug/sat/91, I was departing houston hobby VFR for san antonio international in late morning. Conditions were 4000 scattered to broken. Hobby clearance gave the following clearance: 'fly heading 290 degree, maintain 4000, expect 8500 10 mins after departure.' departure was uneventful, but I leveled off below 4000 to maintain the 290 degree heading in VFR conditions. When cleared to climb to 8500, I readily found adequate room to climb legally. As we proceeded northwest, the cloud tops were higher, and I initiated a climb to 10500. Houston departure concurred, told me to 'resume own navigation', and said they couldn't hand me off to houston center, but suggested a frequency (132.15) to try. I tried to contact center for flight following, but was abruptly told, 'too busy'. At this point, I took a heading to bring me to V198, the direct wbound airway from hobby to san antonio, and continued to monitor center's frequency. As I reached 10500 ft, I was just about over the gland intersection, when I overheard the controller advising several commercial jets inbound for houston of the presence of unidentified traffic (me) at their 12 O'clock position to 10500 ft. During the next few very busy mins, the jets were given course changes and altitude restrictions to avoid me. I clearly saw the larger aircraft in each case, and made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the controller again, not only to identify myself, but to ask for a heading which wouldn't cause so much trouble, but got no response. Later in the flight, I was able to get into the system (my notes say frequency 128.0) and the controller asked me to call houston center collect after landing in san antonio. I called houston center from san antonio, and spoke with the station chief. In an accusatory tone, he began to chastise me for 'blundering into a dangerous 'gate' to the houston TCA'. Since I don't very readily accept misapplied blame, I made it clear to him that I was following all of the rules for the flight as I knew them, and that there was no way, from the available charts, or any precautions given by departure, that I would have known to avoid gland intersection at 10500 ft. As an IFR rated pilot nearing 2000 hours, I could have filed IFR, but as most of us know, filing IFR in VFR WX costs us extra time and fuel, and further burdens the system. Where is the error? Should VFR charts label intxns and altitudes to avoid? Should departure controllers give this instruction before they let you 'resume own navigation'? Should jet arrival 'gates' be repositioned away from en route low altitude airways? Surely I'm not the first (or the last) pilot to fly VFR west from houston hobby to san antonio at 10500 ft. One thing is for sure -- center chewing on the private pilot will not solve the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICTS WITH ACR ACFT AVOIDED AS ARTCC RADAR CTLRS PROVIDE RADAR VECTORING AROUND SMA ACFT VFR IN PROX OF AIRWAY AND ARR TFC GATE INTO IAH.

Narrative: WHILE RETURNING FROM THE SE TO CALIFORNIA IN MY SMA, I HAD AN EXPERIENCE WITH THE ATC SYS WHICH SUGGESTS THAT A HAZARD EXISTS, CORRECTABLE BY THE ADDITION OF INFO TO VFR AND ENRTE LOW ALT CHARTS, OR OTHER MEANS. ON AUG/SAT/91, I WAS DEPARTING HOUSTON HOBBY VFR FOR SAN ANTONIO INTL IN LATE MORNING. CONDITIONS WERE 4000 SCATTERED TO BROKEN. HOBBY CLRNC GAVE THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: 'FLY HDG 290 DEG, MAINTAIN 4000, EXPECT 8500 10 MINS AFTER DEP.' DEP WAS UNEVENTFUL, BUT I LEVELED OFF BELOW 4000 TO MAINTAIN THE 290 DEG HDG IN VFR CONDITIONS. WHEN CLRED TO CLB TO 8500, I READILY FOUND ADEQUATE ROOM TO CLB LEGALLY. AS WE PROCEEDED NW, THE CLOUD TOPS WERE HIGHER, AND I INITIATED A CLB TO 10500. HOUSTON DEP CONCURRED, TOLD ME TO 'RESUME OWN NAV', AND SAID THEY COULDN'T HAND ME OFF TO HOUSTON CENTER, BUT SUGGESTED A FREQ (132.15) TO TRY. I TRIED TO CONTACT CENTER FOR FLT FOLLOWING, BUT WAS ABRUPTLY TOLD, 'TOO BUSY'. AT THIS POINT, I TOOK A HDG TO BRING ME TO V198, THE DIRECT WBOUND AIRWAY FROM HOBBY TO SAN ANTONIO, AND CONTINUED TO MONITOR CENTER'S FREQ. AS I REACHED 10500 FT, I WAS JUST ABOUT OVER THE GLAND INTXN, WHEN I OVERHEARD THE CTLR ADVISING SEVERAL COMMERCIAL JETS INBOUND FOR HOUSTON OF THE PRESENCE OF UNIDENTIFIED TFC (ME) AT THEIR 12 O'CLOCK POS TO 10500 FT. DURING THE NEXT FEW VERY BUSY MINS, THE JETS WERE GIVEN COURSE CHANGES AND ALT RESTRICTIONS TO AVOID ME. I CLRLY SAW THE LARGER ACFT IN EACH CASE, AND MADE SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE CTLR AGAIN, NOT ONLY TO IDENT MYSELF, BUT TO ASK FOR A HDG WHICH WOULDN'T CAUSE SO MUCH TROUBLE, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. LATER IN THE FLT, I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE SYS (MY NOTES SAY FREQ 128.0) AND THE CTLR ASKED ME TO CALL HOUSTON CENTER COLLECT AFTER LNDG IN SAN ANTONIO. I CALLED HOUSTON CENTER FROM SAN ANTONIO, AND SPOKE WITH THE STATION CHIEF. IN AN ACCUSATORY TONE, HE BEGAN TO CHASTISE ME FOR 'BLUNDERING INTO A DANGEROUS 'GATE' TO THE HOUSTON TCA'. SINCE I DON'T VERY READILY ACCEPT MISAPPLIED BLAME, I MADE IT CLR TO HIM THAT I WAS FOLLOWING ALL OF THE RULES FOR THE FLT AS I KNEW THEM, AND THAT THERE WAS NO WAY, FROM THE AVAILABLE CHARTS, OR ANY PRECAUTIONS GIVEN BY DEP, THAT I WOULD HAVE KNOWN TO AVOID GLAND INTXN AT 10500 FT. AS AN IFR RATED PLT NEARING 2000 HRS, I COULD HAVE FILED IFR, BUT AS MOST OF US KNOW, FILING IFR IN VFR WX COSTS US EXTRA TIME AND FUEL, AND FURTHER BURDENS THE SYS. WHERE IS THE ERROR? SHOULD VFR CHARTS LABEL INTXNS AND ALTS TO AVOID? SHOULD DEP CTLRS GIVE THIS INSTRUCTION BEFORE THEY LET YOU 'RESUME OWN NAV'? SHOULD JET ARR 'GATES' BE REPOSITIONED AWAY FROM ENRTE LOW ALT AIRWAYS? SURELY I'M NOT THE FIRST (OR THE LAST) PLT TO FLY VFR W FROM HOUSTON HOBBY TO SAN ANTONIO AT 10500 FT. ONE THING IS FOR SURE -- CENTER CHEWING ON THE PRIVATE PLT WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

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.