Narrative:

I was en route to merritt island airport from winter haven and had contacted patrick approach when I was approximately 25 mi west of melbourne VOR. I had already experienced problems with my transponder and advised patrick that it might not be operational. I informed patrick of my call sign, type (cessna 152), ht and heading and told them that I was inbound for merritt island airfield. Patrick approach asked me to squawk and check my location. I confirmed that I was 25 mi west of melbourne and they informed me that my transponder was not working at this time. I continued my flight heading 060 degrees at 2000 ft AGL until I reached 11 mi wsw of patrick AFB when I observed route 95 approaching and turned onto a northerly heading in order to remain to the west of this road and thus out of the controled airspace around patrick AFB. When I was 7 mi west of patrick AFB and heading 360 degrees at 2000 ft, patrick approach informed another aircraft of unknown traffic at an unknown altitude 1-5 NM in his 2 O'clock position. As I believed this traffic to be inbound for patrick AFB, I thought that the 'unknown' traffic might be me. I turned onto a heading 355 degrees in order to see around my port wing and observed a B737 at 1-5 NM shortly to cross in front of me, heading 090 degrees at 2100 ft and descending. I immediately began a descent and informed patrick that I was the 'unknown' traffic, that I had the B737 in sight and was descending from 2000-1500 ft. Despite my descent, I hit the turbulence from the B737 quite severely less than 1 min later. It appears that patrick approach had lost track of my position as I transitted this airspace, or that they had not correctly identified me when I initiated radio contact. At no time did patrick approach contact me to check on my position and I had made them aware of my cruise ht of 2000 ft. They could have advised me of the inbound B737 that would be crossing my path earlier so that I could have ensured adequate separation in order to avoid the turbulence, or could have covered my location if this was uncertain.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A SMA SEL TAKES EVASIVE ACTION AFTER SIGHTING OF MLG DSNDING THROUGH HIS PROPOSED FLT PATH.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE TO MERRITT ISLAND ARPT FROM WINTER HAVEN AND HAD CONTACTED PATRICK APCH WHEN I WAS APPROX 25 MI W OF MELBOURNE VOR. I HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED PROBS WITH MY XPONDER AND ADVISED PATRICK THAT IT MIGHT NOT BE OPERATIONAL. I INFORMED PATRICK OF MY CALL SIGN, TYPE (CESSNA 152), HT AND HDG AND TOLD THEM THAT I WAS INBOUND FOR MERRITT ISLAND AIRFIELD. PATRICK APCH ASKED ME TO SQUAWK AND CHK MY LOCATION. I CONFIRMED THAT I WAS 25 MI W OF MELBOURNE AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY XPONDER WAS NOT WORKING AT THIS TIME. I CONTINUED MY FLT HDG 060 DEGS AT 2000 FT AGL UNTIL I REACHED 11 MI WSW OF PATRICK AFB WHEN I OBSERVED RTE 95 APCHING AND TURNED ONTO A NORTHERLY HDG IN ORDER TO REMAIN TO THE W OF THIS ROAD AND THUS OUT OF THE CTLED AIRSPACE AROUND PATRICK AFB. WHEN I WAS 7 MI W OF PATRICK AFB AND HDG 360 DEGS AT 2000 FT, PATRICK APCH INFORMED ANOTHER ACFT OF UNKNOWN TFC AT AN UNKNOWN ALT 1-5 NM IN HIS 2 O'CLOCK POS. AS I BELIEVED THIS TFC TO BE INBOUND FOR PATRICK AFB, I THOUGHT THAT THE 'UNKNOWN' TFC MIGHT BE ME. I TURNED ONTO A HDG 355 DEGS IN ORDER TO SEE AROUND MY PORT WING AND OBSERVED A B737 AT 1-5 NM SHORTLY TO CROSS IN FRONT OF ME, HDG 090 DEGS AT 2100 FT AND DSNDING. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A DSCNT AND INFORMED PATRICK THAT I WAS THE 'UNKNOWN' TFC, THAT I HAD THE B737 IN SIGHT AND WAS DSNDING FROM 2000-1500 FT. DESPITE MY DSCNT, I HIT THE TURB FROM THE B737 QUITE SEVERELY LESS THAN 1 MIN LATER. IT APPEARS THAT PATRICK APCH HAD LOST TRACK OF MY POS AS I TRANSITTED THIS AIRSPACE, OR THAT THEY HAD NOT CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED ME WHEN I INITIATED RADIO CONTACT. AT NO TIME DID PATRICK APCH CONTACT ME TO CHK ON MY POS AND I HAD MADE THEM AWARE OF MY CRUISE HT OF 2000 FT. THEY COULD HAVE ADVISED ME OF THE INBOUND B737 THAT WOULD BE XING MY PATH EARLIER SO THAT I COULD HAVE ENSURED ADEQUATE SEPARATION IN ORDER TO AVOID THE TURB, OR COULD HAVE COVERED MY LOCATION IF THIS WAS UNCERTAIN.

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.