Narrative:

During a local solo training flight to ramona (L39), I asked for transition through see's air traffic area at 1500 ft MSL northeast bound. Tower requested, 'standby,' so I circled outside the air traffic area. There was a similar call sign on frequency (both aircraft ending with same number). Tower did not advise of similar call sign. When he called back, he thought I was at 1700 ft and I corrected him. The frequency was very congested. Eventually, I was cleared at 1500 ft and advised that there was traffic in pattern runway 27L and to watch for traffic. I acknowledged with my 'north' number. I did not want to overfly the downwind leg of pattern, so with visual contact with an aircraft departing runway 28R. I stayed west of the field heading northeast until I intercepted a road north of see. I followed the road to a highway that travels east and then turns north in order to stay clear of TCA. When I was just northeast of field (see) I heard tower advise of a twin entering for right base runway 28R that there was an aircraft west of his position at 1500 ft (my aircraft). About 1 min later I saw a twin ahead and higher (about 200 ft). I descended and turned right. The twin advised tower that he had just crossed paths with another aircraft. Tower then asked 'aircraft number, say position,' and I replied, '3 mi south of san vicente reservoir.' see tower then told me to take down their phone number and to call them upon landing. I requested a 180 degree turn to transition back to myf at 1800 ft. I was cleared as requested. On the ground, I phoned and the tower said I failed to comply with instructions to stay west of the field due to traffic in pattern runway 27L. He says he never made visual contact with me, and his statement was that I was 3/4 of a mi northeast of see when the twin and I flew near each other. He did not call the twin out to me because he did not know for sure that I was the aircraft he was looking at. I believe that the tower confused the 2 aircraft ending with same number. He did not address me as reporter aircraft number nor did he warn of other aircraft of similar sign. In future, if air traffic area clearance was required to be repeated, the potential for misunderstanding should be reduced. The tower should make a stronger attempt to make visual contact with aircraft transitioning the air traffic area. Additionally, both pilots needed to be looking out for traffic. (Especially aircraft that have received a traffic report).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI WAS ACCUSED BY ATC OF NOT ADHERING TO INSTRUCTIONS WHEN TRANSITIONING AN ATA.

Narrative: DURING A LCL SOLO TRAINING FLT TO RAMONA (L39), I ASKED FOR TRANSITION THROUGH SEE'S ATA AT 1500 FT MSL NE BOUND. TWR REQUESTED, 'STANDBY,' SO I CIRCLED OUTSIDE THE ATA. THERE WAS A SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON FREQ (BOTH ACFT ENDING WITH SAME NUMBER). TWR DID NOT ADVISE OF SIMILAR CALL SIGN. WHEN HE CALLED BACK, HE THOUGHT I WAS AT 1700 FT AND I CORRECTED HIM. THE FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED. EVENTUALLY, I WAS CLRED AT 1500 FT AND ADVISED THAT THERE WAS TFC IN PATTERN RWY 27L AND TO WATCH FOR TFC. I ACKNOWLEDGED WITH MY 'N' NUMBER. I DID NOT WANT TO OVERFLY THE DOWNWIND LEG OF PATTERN, SO WITH VISUAL CONTACT WITH AN ACFT DEPARTING RWY 28R. I STAYED W OF THE FIELD HDG NE UNTIL I INTERCEPTED A ROAD N OF SEE. I FOLLOWED THE ROAD TO A HWY THAT TRAVELS E AND THEN TURNS N IN ORDER TO STAY CLR OF TCA. WHEN I WAS JUST NE OF FIELD (SEE) I HEARD TWR ADVISE OF A TWIN ENTERING FOR R BASE RWY 28R THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT W OF HIS POS AT 1500 FT (MY ACFT). ABOUT 1 MIN LATER I SAW A TWIN AHEAD AND HIGHER (ABOUT 200 FT). I DSNDED AND TURNED R. THE TWIN ADVISED TWR THAT HE HAD JUST CROSSED PATHS WITH ANOTHER ACFT. TWR THEN ASKED 'ACFT NUMBER, SAY POS,' AND I REPLIED, '3 MI S OF SAN VICENTE RESERVOIR.' SEE TWR THEN TOLD ME TO TAKE DOWN THEIR PHONE NUMBER AND TO CALL THEM UPON LNDG. I REQUESTED A 180 DEG TURN TO TRANSITION BACK TO MYF AT 1800 FT. I WAS CLRED AS REQUESTED. ON THE GND, I PHONED AND THE TWR SAID I FAILED TO COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO STAY W OF THE FIELD DUE TO TFC IN PATTERN RWY 27L. HE SAYS HE NEVER MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH ME, AND HIS STATEMENT WAS THAT I WAS 3/4 OF A MI NE OF SEE WHEN THE TWIN AND I FLEW NEAR EACH OTHER. HE DID NOT CALL THE TWIN OUT TO ME BECAUSE HE DID NOT KNOW FOR SURE THAT I WAS THE ACFT HE WAS LOOKING AT. I BELIEVE THAT THE TWR CONFUSED THE 2 ACFT ENDING WITH SAME NUMBER. HE DID NOT ADDRESS ME AS RPTR ACFT NUMBER NOR DID HE WARN OF OTHER ACFT OF SIMILAR SIGN. IN FUTURE, IF ATA CLRNC WAS REQUIRED TO BE REPEATED, THE POTENTIAL FOR MISUNDERSTANDING SHOULD BE REDUCED. THE TWR SHOULD MAKE A STRONGER ATTEMPT TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT WITH ACFT TRANSITIONING THE ATA. ADDITIONALLY, BOTH PLTS NEEDED TO BE LOOKING OUT FOR TFC. (ESPECIALLY ACFT THAT HAVE RECEIVED A TFC RPT).

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.