Narrative:

This is an near midair collision incident between a C172 (aircraft X) and an MD11 (aircraft Y). Location was the extended centerline of sfo runway 28L/right over united states highway 101. As I was approaching the class B airspace, I contacted bay approach near the golden gate area for a 'south route alpha' clearance. This 'south route alpha' clearance is common routing term used by traffic report aircraft. On initial contact (I cannot remember whether it was on initial contact or subsequent radio calls), I advised bay approach that we were going to maneuver over san francisco. Bay approach acknowledged and told me to advise him when ready to proceed through class B. After the traffic reporter was finished observing the automobile traffic on van ness avenue, I called bay approach and advised the controller we were ready to enter class B via 'south route alpha.' my current altitude was between 1400-1500 ft. He immediately cleared us through with an altitude restr (I believe it was at or below 2000 ft). As always, when I fly through that area, I proceed with extra caution and vigilance due to the high volume of traffic ranging from small to large category aircraft, thus making sure I would navigation around/away from possible wake turbulence and maintain visual separation. When passing mt san bruno, I checked for aircraft that may be taxiing, holding short, or in position and hold for runways 28L/right. After noticing there were none, I proceeded with my normal pattern of scan for traffic starting at my 3 O'clock position. When I reached my 12 O'clock scan area, through my peripheral vision, my eye I saw a moving target to my left (an MD11 that just departed on either runway 28L or runway 28R). By this time I was either in the middle of the departure corridors of runways 28L/right or just south of it. It must have been 500-150 ft off to my left around my 8:30 - 9:00 O'clock position at my altitude. I took no evasive action because judging from the MD11 flight path it was going to pass behind and above me. Shortly after sfo tower advised me of the traffic and I called 'traffic in sight.' it was too late to take any action that would have prevented both aircraft to come any closer to each other or to avoid being an near midair collision. Then shortly after that, the md-11 stated, 'he was not happy with the situation.' from that point on, my flight encountered no further incident. The traffic reporter's broadcast radio was malfunctioning, so we landed at hayward airport to get a replacement radio. That was when hayward tower advised me sfo tower would like to talk to me. The supervising controller requested I make a statement so that they can file a report. I gave my best narrative being in the nervous state I was in. I made a follow-up call the next day because I thought I had made an incorrect statement saying there was no TA's given in reference to the MD11, which was not true, due to the fact there was one called out in reference to the MD11 shortly after I made visual contact. The event that did not occur was the announcement of a 'heavy' traffic to depart from runway 28L/right to me and my position to the MD11. If there was any issued I did not hear it. Every time I have flown the route, a traffic alert was always issued for aircraft departing runway 28L/right. Also visual sighting of traffic on the roll or that have just lifted off of runway 28L/right is hard to detect since the aircraft is flying almost directly towards the general area where the incident occurred. Since the relative movement of the MD11 is minimal at best, in relation to my position, the eye has the hardest time detecting this type of moving target.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SFO ATCT EXCHANGES TA WITH INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR A TFC WATCH C172 TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION FROM A DEPARTING MD11.

Narrative: THIS IS AN NMAC INCIDENT BTWN A C172 (ACFT X) AND AN MD11 (ACFT Y). LOCATION WAS THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF SFO RWY 28L/R OVER UNITED STATES HWY 101. AS I WAS APCHING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, I CONTACTED BAY APCH NEAR THE GOLDEN GATE AREA FOR A 'SOUTH RTE ALPHA' CLRNC. THIS 'SOUTH RTE ALPHA' CLRNC IS COMMON ROUTING TERM USED BY TFC RPT ACFT. ON INITIAL CONTACT (I CANNOT REMEMBER WHETHER IT WAS ON INITIAL CONTACT OR SUBSEQUENT RADIO CALLS), I ADVISED BAY APCH THAT WE WERE GOING TO MANEUVER OVER SAN FRANCISCO. BAY APCH ACKNOWLEDGED AND TOLD ME TO ADVISE HIM WHEN READY TO PROCEED THROUGH CLASS B. AFTER THE TFC RPTR WAS FINISHED OBSERVING THE AUTOMOBILE TFC ON VAN NESS AVENUE, I CALLED BAY APCH AND ADVISED THE CTLR WE WERE READY TO ENTER CLASS B VIA 'SOUTH RTE ALPHA.' MY CURRENT ALT WAS BTWN 1400-1500 FT. HE IMMEDIATELY CLRED US THROUGH WITH AN ALT RESTR (I BELIEVE IT WAS AT OR BELOW 2000 FT). AS ALWAYS, WHEN I FLY THROUGH THAT AREA, I PROCEED WITH EXTRA CAUTION AND VIGILANCE DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF TFC RANGING FROM SMALL TO LARGE CATEGORY ACFT, THUS MAKING SURE I WOULD NAV AROUND/AWAY FROM POSSIBLE WAKE TURB AND MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. WHEN PASSING MT SAN BRUNO, I CHKED FOR ACFT THAT MAY BE TAXIING, HOLDING SHORT, OR IN POS AND HOLD FOR RWYS 28L/R. AFTER NOTICING THERE WERE NONE, I PROCEEDED WITH MY NORMAL PATTERN OF SCAN FOR TFC STARTING AT MY 3 O'CLOCK POS. WHEN I REACHED MY 12 O'CLOCK SCAN AREA, THROUGH MY PERIPHERAL VISION, MY EYE I SAW A MOVING TARGET TO MY L (AN MD11 THAT JUST DEPARTED ON EITHER RWY 28L OR RWY 28R). BY THIS TIME I WAS EITHER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DEP CORRIDORS OF RWYS 28L/R OR JUST S OF IT. IT MUST HAVE BEEN 500-150 FT OFF TO MY L AROUND MY 8:30 - 9:00 O'CLOCK POS AT MY ALT. I TOOK NO EVASIVE ACTION BECAUSE JUDGING FROM THE MD11 FLT PATH IT WAS GOING TO PASS BEHIND AND ABOVE ME. SHORTLY AFTER SFO TWR ADVISED ME OF THE TFC AND I CALLED 'TFC IN SIGHT.' IT WAS TOO LATE TO TAKE ANY ACTION THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED BOTH ACFT TO COME ANY CLOSER TO EACH OTHER OR TO AVOID BEING AN NMAC. THEN SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE MD-11 STATED, 'HE WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE SIT.' FROM THAT POINT ON, MY FLT ENCOUNTERED NO FURTHER INCIDENT. THE TFC RPTR'S BROADCAST RADIO WAS MALFUNCTIONING, SO WE LANDED AT HAYWARD ARPT TO GET A REPLACEMENT RADIO. THAT WAS WHEN HAYWARD TWR ADVISED ME SFO TWR WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO ME. THE SUPERVISING CTLR REQUESTED I MAKE A STATEMENT SO THAT THEY CAN FILE A RPT. I GAVE MY BEST NARRATIVE BEING IN THE NERVOUS STATE I WAS IN. I MADE A FOLLOW-UP CALL THE NEXT DAY BECAUSE I THOUGHT I HAD MADE AN INCORRECT STATEMENT SAYING THERE WAS NO TA'S GIVEN IN REF TO THE MD11, WHICH WAS NOT TRUE, DUE TO THE FACT THERE WAS ONE CALLED OUT IN REF TO THE MD11 SHORTLY AFTER I MADE VISUAL CONTACT. THE EVENT THAT DID NOT OCCUR WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A 'HVY' TFC TO DEPART FROM RWY 28L/R TO ME AND MY POS TO THE MD11. IF THERE WAS ANY ISSUED I DID NOT HEAR IT. EVERY TIME I HAVE FLOWN THE RTE, A TFC ALERT WAS ALWAYS ISSUED FOR ACFT DEPARTING RWY 28L/R. ALSO VISUAL SIGHTING OF TFC ON THE ROLL OR THAT HAVE JUST LIFTED OFF OF RWY 28L/R IS HARD TO DETECT SINCE THE ACFT IS FLYING ALMOST DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE GENERAL AREA WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. SINCE THE RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE MD11 IS MINIMAL AT BEST, IN RELATION TO MY POS, THE EYE HAS THE HARDEST TIME DETECTING THIS TYPE OF MOVING TARGET.

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.