Narrative:

After a briefing with the millville FSS I took off from bader airport on runway 29 (winds were 200-210 degree at 10-15 KTS). After breaking ground I immediately flew nne (020 on the directional gyroscope) and leveled at approximately 1100 ft MSL, until I could contact ATC at atlantic city. (There had been one other departure just prior to mine and I assumed he was on the ATC frequency for approach, 134.25.) for what seemed like 5-10 mins there was constant communication including ATC describing 2 targets to a landing aircraft for acy. I did not want to interrupt the communication and assumed ATC was describing myself and the other departing aircraft to the landing aircraft. When I finally was able to contact approach he acknowledged my tail number and I began to ascend to 1500 ft and begin a climb to cruise altitude. His first words after acknowledgement were to tell me I had a near miss and that I was lucky to be alive. He asked me to look for an aircraft to my left and said he almost hit me. He assigned a transponder squawk and then began literally screaming at me in a very unprofessional way that I was in a final approach course for runway 31 acy. At this time I was level now at 1500 ft (afraid to do anything -- I didn't know what my status was). The air traffic controller asked my heading and altitude. I said due north, although I was nne (020 degree) and level at 1500 ft although first contact was at approximately 1200-1300 ft. He continued to berate me and ask why I was in the final approach course. I had no answer at that moment except to admit to error and apologize. The controller then went to contact the first plane to depart bader but he was off frequency by then. Needless to say, the rest of the trip had me so upset I was lucky to make it home to isp without any further incidents. I think there is a basic problem with the flight patterns at bader, nj. There is no way to know the active at atlantic city international (ATIS on 108.6 is not picked up on the ground) and on busy days approach control is hard to reach. There was no way for me to know which runways were active and for me to avoid them although I was below the arsa in that area. I also think that to scream and berate a pilot in that situation is unprofessional of ATC and could make the pilot fly in further unsafe manner (assuming the pilot was unsafe to begin with). I had my wife (who is still afraid of flying) and my in-laws with me. Needless, we were all very perturbed. I do not believe I busted the arsa (my altimeter was set to approximately 80 ft MSL) due to a lack of altimeter settings from the ATIS and I was at 1200 ft. I believe the radar vectored airplane was below mins when my miss occurred due to the other aircraft in front of me causing the vectoring of the landing aircraft to be in my flight path.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DEPARTED AIY AND FLEW INTO ACY ARSA ATA WITHOUT CLRNC AND HAD NMAC WITH ACFT ON FINAL TO ACY.

Narrative: AFTER A BRIEFING WITH THE MILLVILLE FSS I TOOK OFF FROM BADER ARPT ON RWY 29 (WINDS WERE 200-210 DEG AT 10-15 KTS). AFTER BREAKING GND I IMMEDIATELY FLEW NNE (020 ON THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE) AND LEVELED AT APPROX 1100 FT MSL, UNTIL I COULD CONTACT ATC AT ATLANTIC CITY. (THERE HAD BEEN ONE OTHER DEP JUST PRIOR TO MINE AND I ASSUMED HE WAS ON THE ATC FREQ FOR APCH, 134.25.) FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE 5-10 MINS THERE WAS CONSTANT COM INCLUDING ATC DESCRIBING 2 TARGETS TO A LNDG ACFT FOR ACY. I DID NOT WANT TO INTERRUPT THE COM AND ASSUMED ATC WAS DESCRIBING MYSELF AND THE OTHER DEPARTING ACFT TO THE LNDG ACFT. WHEN I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO CONTACT APCH HE ACKNOWLEDGED MY TAIL NUMBER AND I BEGAN TO ASCEND TO 1500 FT AND BEGIN A CLB TO CRUISE ALT. HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WERE TO TELL ME I HAD A NEAR MISS AND THAT I WAS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. HE ASKED ME TO LOOK FOR AN ACFT TO MY L AND SAID HE ALMOST HIT ME. HE ASSIGNED A TRANSPONDER SQUAWK AND THEN BEGAN LITERALLY SCREAMING AT ME IN A VERY UNPROFESSIONAL WAY THAT I WAS IN A FINAL APCH COURSE FOR RWY 31 ACY. AT THIS TIME I WAS LEVEL NOW AT 1500 FT (AFRAID TO DO ANYTHING -- I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT MY STATUS WAS). THE AIR TFC CTLR ASKED MY HDG AND ALT. I SAID DUE N, ALTHOUGH I WAS NNE (020 DEG) AND LEVEL AT 1500 FT ALTHOUGH FIRST CONTACT WAS AT APPROX 1200-1300 FT. HE CONTINUED TO BERATE ME AND ASK WHY I WAS IN THE FINAL APCH COURSE. I HAD NO ANSWER AT THAT MOMENT EXCEPT TO ADMIT TO ERROR AND APOLOGIZE. THE CTLR THEN WENT TO CONTACT THE FIRST PLANE TO DEPART BADER BUT HE WAS OFF FREQ BY THEN. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE REST OF THE TRIP HAD ME SO UPSET I WAS LUCKY TO MAKE IT HOME TO ISP WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENTS. I THINK THERE IS A BASIC PROBLEM WITH THE FLT PATTERNS AT BADER, NJ. THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW THE ACTIVE AT ATLANTIC CITY INTL (ATIS ON 108.6 IS NOT PICKED UP ON THE GND) AND ON BUSY DAYS APCH CTL IS HARD TO REACH. THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO KNOW WHICH RWYS WERE ACTIVE AND FOR ME TO AVOID THEM ALTHOUGH I WAS BELOW THE ARSA IN THAT AREA. I ALSO THINK THAT TO SCREAM AND BERATE A PLT IN THAT SITUATION IS UNPROFESSIONAL OF ATC AND COULD MAKE THE PLT FLY IN FURTHER UNSAFE MANNER (ASSUMING THE PLT WAS UNSAFE TO BEGIN WITH). I HAD MY WIFE (WHO IS STILL AFRAID OF FLYING) AND MY IN-LAWS WITH ME. NEEDLESS, WE WERE ALL VERY PERTURBED. I DO NOT BELIEVE I BUSTED THE ARSA (MY ALTIMETER WAS SET TO APPROX 80 FT MSL) DUE TO A LACK OF ALTIMETER SETTINGS FROM THE ATIS AND I WAS AT 1200 FT. I BELIEVE THE RADAR VECTORED AIRPLANE WAS BELOW MINS WHEN MY MISS OCCURRED DUE TO THE OTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF ME CAUSING THE VECTORING OF THE LNDG ACFT TO BE IN MY FLT PATH.

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.