Narrative:

Departed pao with family, flying to apc. Needed to transition oak class C airspace. Bay approach was contacted immediately once past dumbarten bridge. Bay was requested by myself to give a class B clearance so as to avoid 1200- 1500 ft tops of marine stratus which started 2 mi south of hwd and through oak area. Bay said stand by. As we continued towards hwd to transition, bay says 'remain clear of class B airspace. Suggest turn left towards san mateo bridge toll plaza and then northwest, maintain 2000 ft and contact oak south tower.' I did so. This, however, put me in close proximity to approaching jet traffic into oak runway 29. Being on top by 500-600 ft and able to see traffic for runway 29, I decided (based on bay's instruction) to fly nwbound to avoid conflict with runway 29 approachs by crossing diagonally nwbound the runway 29 final. This eliminated potential conflict with jets. Oak tower asked me then why I crossed the final as opposed to paralleling final and crossing at oak airport. I stated that bay's instructions were vague at best and that he had instructed me to proceed nwbound, not a specific heading or to a specific point. I also crossed so as to stay on edge of scattered to broken undercast. My experience tells me to not assume ATC is going to suggest appropriate action. They must be questioned at times. After the oak tower question, the rest of flight was uneventful. I called back to bay TRACON and talked to supervisor who said not to worry. No problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C206 PLT FAILS TO FOLLOW BAY APCH CTLR'S SUGGESTION FOR TRANSITING THE OAK AREA FROM PAO TO APC. IN DOING SO HE CROSSED THE OAK RWY 29 LOC COURSE AT 2000 FT BTWN HAYWARD AND OAK ARPT. OAK S TWR CTLR QUESTIONED HIS PATH. PLT LATER PLACED A CALLBACK TO TRACON SUPVR.

Narrative: DEPARTED PAO WITH FAMILY, FLYING TO APC. NEEDED TO TRANSITION OAK CLASS C AIRSPACE. BAY APCH WAS CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY ONCE PAST DUMBARTEN BRIDGE. BAY WAS REQUESTED BY MYSELF TO GIVE A CLASS B CLRNC SO AS TO AVOID 1200- 1500 FT TOPS OF MARINE STRATUS WHICH STARTED 2 MI S OF HWD AND THROUGH OAK AREA. BAY SAID STAND BY. AS WE CONTINUED TOWARDS HWD TO TRANSITION, BAY SAYS 'REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. SUGGEST TURN L TOWARDS SAN MATEO BRIDGE TOLL PLAZA AND THEN NW, MAINTAIN 2000 FT AND CONTACT OAK S TWR.' I DID SO. THIS, HOWEVER, PUT ME IN CLOSE PROX TO APCHING JET TFC INTO OAK RWY 29. BEING ON TOP BY 500-600 FT AND ABLE TO SEE TFC FOR RWY 29, I DECIDED (BASED ON BAY'S INSTRUCTION) TO FLY NWBOUND TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH RWY 29 APCHS BY XING DIAGONALLY NWBOUND THE RWY 29 FINAL. THIS ELIMINATED POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH JETS. OAK TWR ASKED ME THEN WHY I CROSSED THE FINAL AS OPPOSED TO PARALLELING FINAL AND XING AT OAK ARPT. I STATED THAT BAY'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE VAGUE AT BEST AND THAT HE HAD INSTRUCTED ME TO PROCEED NWBOUND, NOT A SPECIFIC HDG OR TO A SPECIFIC POINT. I ALSO CROSSED SO AS TO STAY ON EDGE OF SCATTERED TO BROKEN UNDERCAST. MY EXPERIENCE TELLS ME TO NOT ASSUME ATC IS GOING TO SUGGEST APPROPRIATE ACTION. THEY MUST BE QUESTIONED AT TIMES. AFTER THE OAK TWR QUESTION, THE REST OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I CALLED BACK TO BAY TRACON AND TALKED TO SUPVR WHO SAID NOT TO WORRY. NO PROB.

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.