Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight to sna. I initiated flight following upon leaving the departure air traffic area. My planned route of flight was via the special flight rules area to transit the area of class B airspace then direct to sna. When about 8 mi northwest of the smo VOR while descending, socal approach terminated flight following. I requested the frequency for flight following on the southeast side of the flight rules area and the controller gave me the frequency he 'thought' it would be and terminated coverage. While continuing my descent my tcad 9900B began ringing traffic, which is the alert for the closest traffic. The aircraft was reported by the unit to be a few hundred ft lower than mine and less than .3 mi. I stopped my descent while scanning when I spotted another aircraft about 150 ft away at my 2:30 O'clock position. The aircraft was approximately 25 ft lower in altitude and about 125 ft horizontal. The aircraft appeared to be a cherokee and was in a straight ahead climb. I took evasive action. I do not know if the other aircraft performed an evasive maneuver. My visibility was restr in that direction by the glare shield and passenger door post of the bonanza I was flying. Without the tcad unit, I would not have been alerted to the fact that another aircraft was so near. WX was not a factor as it was clear with good visibilities, and the time was about 1 hour before sunset. The incident occurred less than 90 seconds after the termination of flight following by the socal controller. My observations and suggestions: the special flight rules area and procedures are dangerous as there are numerous aircraft in the vicinity of the entrance and exit points, many of which are not headed to the flight rules area and therefore have no reason to use 128.55 to broadcast their intentions. The aircraft in this incident did not appear to be using the flight rules area. Suggestions: eliminate the special flight rules area and request controllers to be a bit more accommodating when requesting and utilizing the shoreline route. Or, provide flight following up until entry into the special flight rules area and provide a frequency to continue flight following upon exit. Do not require a change in squawk code and allow a seamless return to flight following when exiting the flight rules area. Until such changes are made, suggestions within the current ATC procedures as they appear to be are: on the los angeles terminal area chart special flight rules box, place the smo frequency next to the smo indicator. The required altitude, bearing, VOR frequency, squawk code, and unicom frequency should all be prominently displayed on the chart. Currently they are not.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BONANZA PLT HAS NMAC WITH CHEROKEE NEAR ENTRY POINT TO LAX SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA JUST AFTER RELEASE FROM TRACON FLT FOLLOWING FREQ.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT TO SNA. I INITIATED FLT FOLLOWING UPON LEAVING THE DEP ATA. MY PLANNED RTE OF FLT WAS VIA THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA TO TRANSIT THE AREA OF CLASS B AIRSPACE THEN DIRECT TO SNA. WHEN ABOUT 8 MI NW OF THE SMO VOR WHILE DSNDING, SOCAL APCH TERMINATED FLT FOLLOWING. I REQUESTED THE FREQ FOR FLT FOLLOWING ON THE SE SIDE OF THE FLT RULES AREA AND THE CTLR GAVE ME THE FREQ HE 'THOUGHT' IT WOULD BE AND TERMINATED COVERAGE. WHILE CONTINUING MY DSCNT MY TCAD 9900B BEGAN RINGING TFC, WHICH IS THE ALERT FOR THE CLOSEST TFC. THE ACFT WAS RPTED BY THE UNIT TO BE A FEW HUNDRED FT LOWER THAN MINE AND LESS THAN .3 MI. I STOPPED MY DSCNT WHILE SCANNING WHEN I SPOTTED ANOTHER ACFT ABOUT 150 FT AWAY AT MY 2:30 O'CLOCK POS. THE ACFT WAS APPROX 25 FT LOWER IN ALT AND ABOUT 125 FT HORIZ. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE A CHEROKEE AND WAS IN A STRAIGHT AHEAD CLB. I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE OTHER ACFT PERFORMED AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. MY VISIBILITY WAS RESTR IN THAT DIRECTION BY THE GLARE SHIELD AND PAX DOOR POST OF THE BONANZA I WAS FLYING. WITHOUT THE TCAD UNIT, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO THE FACT THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS SO NEAR. WX WAS NOT A FACTOR AS IT WAS CLR WITH GOOD VISIBILITIES, AND THE TIME WAS ABOUT 1 HR BEFORE SUNSET. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED LESS THAN 90 SECONDS AFTER THE TERMINATION OF FLT FOLLOWING BY THE SOCAL CTLR. MY OBSERVATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS: THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA AND PROCS ARE DANGEROUS AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS ACFT IN THE VICINITY OF THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT POINTS, MANY OF WHICH ARE NOT HEADED TO THE FLT RULES AREA AND THEREFORE HAVE NO REASON TO USE 128.55 TO BROADCAST THEIR INTENTIONS. THE ACFT IN THIS INCIDENT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE USING THE FLT RULES AREA. SUGGESTIONS: ELIMINATE THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA AND REQUEST CTLRS TO BE A BIT MORE ACCOMMODATING WHEN REQUESTING AND UTILIZING THE SHORELINE RTE. OR, PROVIDE FLT FOLLOWING UP UNTIL ENTRY INTO THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA AND PROVIDE A FREQ TO CONTINUE FLT FOLLOWING UPON EXIT. DO NOT REQUIRE A CHANGE IN SQUAWK CODE AND ALLOW A SEAMLESS RETURN TO FLT FOLLOWING WHEN EXITING THE FLT RULES AREA. UNTIL SUCH CHANGES ARE MADE, SUGGESTIONS WITHIN THE CURRENT ATC PROCS AS THEY APPEAR TO BE ARE: ON THE LOS ANGELES TERMINAL AREA CHART SPECIAL FLT RULES BOX, PLACE THE SMO FREQ NEXT TO THE SMO INDICATOR. THE REQUIRED ALT, BEARING, VOR FREQ, SQUAWK CODE, AND UNICOM FREQ SHOULD ALL BE PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED ON THE CHART. CURRENTLY THEY ARE NOT.

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.