Narrative:

Over leucadia, I called for and was cleared for the I-5 northbound transition at 1500 ft. Shortly after passing the extended centerline of runway 24, I requested a course reversal. At that moment, there was a stuck microphone or someone was transmitting over the controller's reply to my request. There was silence on the radio for a few moments. Because I was not yet approved to reverse course I remained on my current heading. The next transmission on the frequency was from a baron pilot claiming that he had almost hit a C-152 that was over I-5 at about 1600 ft. The controller asked each of the 3 traffic reporting aircraft in his airspace to state their location. It was only now that I realized that I must have been the C-152 the baron pilot was referring to. The pilot of the baron was very angry that no traffic was reported to him. The controller queried if I had reversed course yet? I responded 'that I asked if I could reverse course and then there was some confusion so I remained on course.' the baron pilot immediately replied 'what he's saying is that he screwed up!' then the controller said 'that's not what he is saying.' (mr. X, the controller, is a really nice guy.) then mr. Y, the airwatch maule, exclaimed 'why don't you watch where you're going?' suggesting that the baron pilot had responsibility for seeing and avoiding other aircraft. After a moment of silence, I asked palomar tower if I could reverse course. The request was approved, followed shortly thereafter with a frequency change. I never saw the baron. Perhaps the use of the word 'confusion' in my explanation to the controller was not a choice word. I don't even know if I was the aircraft the baron almost hit! What I do know is without explicit approval from ATC, I do not reverse course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT NMAC. 2 VFR ACFT IN THE ARPT PATTERN ALMOST HIT -- AIRBORNE.

Narrative: OVER LEUCADIA, I CALLED FOR AND WAS CLRED FOR THE I-5 NBOUND TRANSITION AT 1500 FT. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 24, I REQUESTED A COURSE REVERSAL. AT THAT MOMENT, THERE WAS A STUCK MIKE OR SOMEONE WAS XMITTING OVER THE CTLR'S REPLY TO MY REQUEST. THERE WAS SILENCE ON THE RADIO FOR A FEW MOMENTS. BECAUSE I WAS NOT YET APPROVED TO REVERSE COURSE I REMAINED ON MY CURRENT HDG. THE NEXT XMISSION ON THE FREQ WAS FROM A BARON PLT CLAIMING THAT HE HAD ALMOST HIT A C-152 THAT WAS OVER I-5 AT ABOUT 1600 FT. THE CTLR ASKED EACH OF THE 3 TFC RPTING ACFT IN HIS AIRSPACE TO STATE THEIR LOCATION. IT WAS ONLY NOW THAT I REALIZED THAT I MUST HAVE BEEN THE C-152 THE BARON PLT WAS REFERRING TO. THE PLT OF THE BARON WAS VERY ANGRY THAT NO TFC WAS RPTED TO HIM. THE CTLR QUERIED IF I HAD REVERSED COURSE YET? I RESPONDED 'THAT I ASKED IF I COULD REVERSE COURSE AND THEN THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION SO I REMAINED ON COURSE.' THE BARON PLT IMMEDIATELY REPLIED 'WHAT HE'S SAYING IS THAT HE SCREWED UP!' THEN THE CTLR SAID 'THAT'S NOT WHAT HE IS SAYING.' (MR. X, THE CTLR, IS A REALLY NICE GUY.) THEN MR. Y, THE AIRWATCH MAULE, EXCLAIMED 'WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING?' SUGGESTING THAT THE BARON PLT HAD RESPONSIBILITY FOR SEEING AND AVOIDING OTHER ACFT. AFTER A MOMENT OF SILENCE, I ASKED PALOMAR TWR IF I COULD REVERSE COURSE. THE REQUEST WAS APPROVED, FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER WITH A FREQ CHANGE. I NEVER SAW THE BARON. PERHAPS THE USE OF THE WORD 'CONFUSION' IN MY EXPLANATION TO THE CTLR WAS NOT A CHOICE WORD. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I WAS THE ACFT THE BARON ALMOST HIT! WHAT I DO KNOW IS WITHOUT EXPLICIT APPROVAL FROM ATC, I DO NOT REVERSE COURSE.

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.