Narrative:

I landed at pae at approximately XA45 on jan/sat/03. I met with some other pilots for a fly out. I returned to my plane at approximately XB10. When I contacted ground control for permission to taxi, I was asked to contact seattle ARTCC. I called ARTCC and was told that another pilot had filed a complaint against me. He alleged that I was flying in the clouds and nearly hit him during the approach. This is unlikely for several reasons. I had flown in from awo. I monitored 132.95, the pae tower frequency, shortly after departing awo. I first contacted paine tower just north of the ritts NDB. I was instructed to fly the straight-in for runway 16R. I was at about 2300 ft MSL, staying below the cloud layer that ran from awo until just past ritts (when it began to rise). I crossed ritts at about 2000 ft, wanting to stay well below any aircraft that might have been on the ILS approach until after I contacted pae. Pae advised me of the traffic on the NDB-B approach, apparently the aircraft that filed this complaint. For the entire approach, tower advised me of the position of the other aircraft. I was never requested to take any evasive action or change course to avoid the other aircraft. Apparently, the tower saw no conflict between us. I was cleared to land and landed without incident. The only time on the entire approach when I lost sight of the other aircraft was when it passed on the other side of a small, wispy cloud that drifted down from the main layer. I told the tower that I had lost sight of the other aircraft. Tower informed me that he was at my 11 O'clock position, 1/2 mi ahead and below me. I saw him and maintained visual until my touchdown. I estimate that the small cloud was midway between us and not more than 100 ft wide, although this is hard to tell. I have no idea why the other pilot would consider this a serious incident. As I said before, we were never close enough for the tower to advise either of us to take evasive action. The only thing I can suggest is that, due to the other pilot's proximity to the small cloud, the appearance was that I was in the cloud. In fact, I was below the clouds at all times on my flight from awo. I was certainly well below by the time I entered pae class D airspace as I was below the GS until I crossed the shoreline at mukilteo.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT RPTED THAT ZSE ARTCC CONTACTED HIM REGARDING A COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST HIM BY ANOTHER PLT WHILE ON A PARALLEL APCH TO PAE.

Narrative: I LANDED AT PAE AT APPROX XA45 ON JAN/SAT/03. I MET WITH SOME OTHER PLTS FOR A FLY OUT. I RETURNED TO MY PLANE AT APPROX XB10. WHEN I CONTACTED GND CTL FOR PERMISSION TO TAXI, I WAS ASKED TO CONTACT SEATTLE ARTCC. I CALLED ARTCC AND WAS TOLD THAT ANOTHER PLT HAD FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST ME. HE ALLEGED THAT I WAS FLYING IN THE CLOUDS AND NEARLY HIT HIM DURING THE APCH. THIS IS UNLIKELY FOR SEVERAL REASONS. I HAD FLOWN IN FROM AWO. I MONITORED 132.95, THE PAE TWR FREQ, SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING AWO. I FIRST CONTACTED PAINE TWR JUST N OF THE RITTS NDB. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY THE STRAIGHT-IN FOR RWY 16R. I WAS AT ABOUT 2300 FT MSL, STAYING BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER THAT RAN FROM AWO UNTIL JUST PAST RITTS (WHEN IT BEGAN TO RISE). I CROSSED RITTS AT ABOUT 2000 FT, WANTING TO STAY WELL BELOW ANY ACFT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON THE ILS APCH UNTIL AFTER I CONTACTED PAE. PAE ADVISED ME OF THE TFC ON THE NDB-B APCH, APPARENTLY THE ACFT THAT FILED THIS COMPLAINT. FOR THE ENTIRE APCH, TWR ADVISED ME OF THE POS OF THE OTHER ACFT. I WAS NEVER REQUESTED TO TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION OR CHANGE COURSE TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT. APPARENTLY, THE TWR SAW NO CONFLICT BTWN US. I WAS CLRED TO LAND AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ONLY TIME ON THE ENTIRE APCH WHEN I LOST SIGHT OF THE OTHER ACFT WAS WHEN IT PASSED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A SMALL, WISPY CLOUD THAT DRIFTED DOWN FROM THE MAIN LAYER. I TOLD THE TWR THAT I HAD LOST SIGHT OF THE OTHER ACFT. TWR INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS, 1/2 MI AHEAD AND BELOW ME. I SAW HIM AND MAINTAINED VISUAL UNTIL MY TOUCHDOWN. I ESTIMATE THAT THE SMALL CLOUD WAS MIDWAY BTWN US AND NOT MORE THAN 100 FT WIDE, ALTHOUGH THIS IS HARD TO TELL. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THE OTHER PLT WOULD CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS INCIDENT. AS I SAID BEFORE, WE WERE NEVER CLOSE ENOUGH FOR THE TWR TO ADVISE EITHER OF US TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. THE ONLY THING I CAN SUGGEST IS THAT, DUE TO THE OTHER PLT'S PROX TO THE SMALL CLOUD, THE APPEARANCE WAS THAT I WAS IN THE CLOUD. IN FACT, I WAS BELOW THE CLOUDS AT ALL TIMES ON MY FLT FROM AWO. I WAS CERTAINLY WELL BELOW BY THE TIME I ENTERED PAE CLASS D AIRSPACE AS I WAS BELOW THE GS UNTIL I CROSSED THE SHORELINE AT MUKILTEO.

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.