Narrative:

I departed L12 in a PA24-260B comanche to check the performance of an altimeter on which work had been done some time before. After departing redlands I monitored socal approach control frequency 127.25 and put the aircraft into a steady climb to the southeast. There was a high cloud layer at about 11000 ft MSL which gave way to clear blue sky and unlimited ceiling some mi to the south. Approaching beaumont, ca, climbing through 8500 ft, I switched to socal approach frequency 119.65 so that I could monitor it. When I shifted to the new frequency, an exchange was taking place between the socal controller and a commuter flight in which the commuter aircraft said it would level off at 9000 ft and 'look for the traffic.' a few seconds later socal told the commuter that the target was now at 9500 ft. He turned the commuter and authority/authorized it to climb. It was at that point that I realized the traffic was me. At the same time I saw the twin-engine commuter pass about one a half mi off my nose, at about the 1-2 O'clock position, at an altitude somewhat higher than mine. The commuter crew then said they had seen me, but could not tell what type aircraft I was. Following an inquiry from socal about the ht of the clouds, the commuter crew responded in a way that was almost unintelligible, but may have said '500 ft above us.' the socal controller then said, 'well, we'll be talking to him (meaning me).' the implication was that I was violating VFR cloud clearance restrs. At this point I announced myself on the frequency with my n-number, stated that I had just monitored the exchange on the frequency, and told the controller that I was at least 1000 ft beneath the cloud layer (which I was). The controller stated that I had given the commuter crew something of a 'scare.' I apologized, and said that I would in the future ask for flight following. The controller then told me another commuter flight was wbound, presently near the palm springs VOR, and I told him I would be turning at this point and returning to redlands. At this point I was at about 10000 ft and close to the edge of the clouds and the beginning of unrestr ceiling. Lessons: 1) when monitoring a frequency, and you hear yourself called as a 'target' for potentially conflicting traffic, speak up as quickly as possible. Don't hesitate. Doing so can alleviate a lot of anxiety and expedite the smoothness of the system. 2) increase awareness of frequency sector boundaries. If I had switched from 127.25 to 119.65 a little earlier, I would have been more aware of what was going on earlier, and surprise would have been less of a factor. When monitoring, and not participating, it is not always easy to tell where these boundaries are in busy airspace, critical though that information is. 3) I almost always fly IFR, on an IFR flight plan. While I am very certain that the ceiling during this event was at least 1000 ft above me, it is also true that pilots who fly IFR most of the time likely become complacent about the VFR WX minimums spelled out in far 91.155. It is important to always keep these in mind. When I was at 9500 ft on this day I was well below the prescribed minimums. At 10000 ft, I was at the minimums, though quickly approaching the area in which there was no ceiling at all. I regard myself to be a good, conscientious pilot, and was embarrassed by this episode. I have vowed to increase my vigilance in the future, and to speak up when called as traffic if I am not participating in the system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 COMANCHE OFF L12 TO CHK ALTIMETER. WAS MONITORING TRACON WHEN HEARD A COMMUTER ACFT ADVISED OF TFC. SAW COMMUTER TFC ABOVE AND HEARD COMMUTER ADVISE CTLR TFC WAS ABOVE NEAR CLOUDS. RPTR ADVISED CTLR HE HAD TFC IN SIGHT AND WAS LEGALLY CLR OF CLOUDS AND WAS RETURNING TO BASE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED L12 IN A PA24-260B COMANCHE TO CHK THE PERFORMANCE OF AN ALTIMETER ON WHICH WORK HAD BEEN DONE SOME TIME BEFORE. AFTER DEPARTING REDLANDS I MONITORED SOCAL APCH CTL FREQ 127.25 AND PUT THE ACFT INTO A STEADY CLB TO THE SE. THERE WAS A HIGH CLOUD LAYER AT ABOUT 11000 FT MSL WHICH GAVE WAY TO CLR BLUE SKY AND UNLIMITED CEILING SOME MI TO THE S. APCHING BEAUMONT, CA, CLBING THROUGH 8500 FT, I SWITCHED TO SOCAL APCH FREQ 119.65 SO THAT I COULD MONITOR IT. WHEN I SHIFTED TO THE NEW FREQ, AN EXCHANGE WAS TAKING PLACE BTWN THE SOCAL CTLR AND A COMMUTER FLT IN WHICH THE COMMUTER ACFT SAID IT WOULD LEVEL OFF AT 9000 FT AND 'LOOK FOR THE TFC.' A FEW SECONDS LATER SOCAL TOLD THE COMMUTER THAT THE TARGET WAS NOW AT 9500 FT. HE TURNED THE COMMUTER AND AUTH IT TO CLB. IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT I REALIZED THE TFC WAS ME. AT THE SAME TIME I SAW THE TWIN-ENG COMMUTER PASS ABOUT ONE A HALF MI OFF MY NOSE, AT ABOUT THE 1-2 O'CLOCK POS, AT AN ALT SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN MINE. THE COMMUTER CREW THEN SAID THEY HAD SEEN ME, BUT COULD NOT TELL WHAT TYPE ACFT I WAS. FOLLOWING AN INQUIRY FROM SOCAL ABOUT THE HT OF THE CLOUDS, THE COMMUTER CREW RESPONDED IN A WAY THAT WAS ALMOST UNINTELLIGIBLE, BUT MAY HAVE SAID '500 FT ABOVE US.' THE SOCAL CTLR THEN SAID, 'WELL, WE'LL BE TALKING TO HIM (MEANING ME).' THE IMPLICATION WAS THAT I WAS VIOLATING VFR CLOUD CLRNC RESTRS. AT THIS POINT I ANNOUNCED MYSELF ON THE FREQ WITH MY N-NUMBER, STATED THAT I HAD JUST MONITORED THE EXCHANGE ON THE FREQ, AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WAS AT LEAST 1000 FT BENEATH THE CLOUD LAYER (WHICH I WAS). THE CTLR STATED THAT I HAD GIVEN THE COMMUTER CREW SOMETHING OF A 'SCARE.' I APOLOGIZED, AND SAID THAT I WOULD IN THE FUTURE ASK FOR FLT FOLLOWING. THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME ANOTHER COMMUTER FLT WAS WBOUND, PRESENTLY NEAR THE PALM SPRINGS VOR, AND I TOLD HIM I WOULD BE TURNING AT THIS POINT AND RETURNING TO REDLANDS. AT THIS POINT I WAS AT ABOUT 10000 FT AND CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE CLOUDS AND THE BEGINNING OF UNRESTR CEILING. LESSONS: 1) WHEN MONITORING A FREQ, AND YOU HEAR YOURSELF CALLED AS A 'TARGET' FOR POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING TFC, SPEAK UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. DON'T HESITATE. DOING SO CAN ALLEVIATE A LOT OF ANXIETY AND EXPEDITE THE SMOOTHNESS OF THE SYS. 2) INCREASE AWARENESS OF FREQ SECTOR BOUNDARIES. IF I HAD SWITCHED FROM 127.25 TO 119.65 A LITTLE EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON EARLIER, AND SURPRISE WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS OF A FACTOR. WHEN MONITORING, AND NOT PARTICIPATING, IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO TELL WHERE THESE BOUNDARIES ARE IN BUSY AIRSPACE, CRITICAL THOUGH THAT INFO IS. 3) I ALMOST ALWAYS FLY IFR, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. WHILE I AM VERY CERTAIN THAT THE CEILING DURING THIS EVENT WAS AT LEAST 1000 FT ABOVE ME, IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT PLTS WHO FLY IFR MOST OF THE TIME LIKELY BECOME COMPLACENT ABOUT THE VFR WX MINIMUMS SPELLED OUT IN FAR 91.155. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS KEEP THESE IN MIND. WHEN I WAS AT 9500 FT ON THIS DAY I WAS WELL BELOW THE PRESCRIBED MINIMUMS. AT 10000 FT, I WAS AT THE MINIMUMS, THOUGH QUICKLY APCHING THE AREA IN WHICH THERE WAS NO CEILING AT ALL. I REGARD MYSELF TO BE A GOOD, CONSCIENTIOUS PLT, AND WAS EMBARRASSED BY THIS EPISODE. I HAVE VOWED TO INCREASE MY VIGILANCE IN THE FUTURE, AND TO SPEAK UP WHEN CALLED AS TFC IF I AM NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE SYS.

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.