Narrative:

I am a commercial pilot (airplane, single-engine) with current instrument and CFI ratings. I also was a former air traffic controller at ord. During the situation, I was flying for pleasure with 1 passenger. My aircraft, a C172SP, was involved with an air carrier jet, perhaps a B757 or B767 departing sfo. The air carrier passed needlessly too close to my aircraft. I was on a sbound sfo class B VFR transition and the departing and climbing air carrier was turned toward my aircraft. My passenger and I estimated that he passed within 300-400 horizontal ft (he was to my right) and perhaps 300 ft above my altitude in a climbing right turn. Location was inside class B airspace at san francisco. Prior to entering sfo class B, an approval for the class B transition was granted by sfo tower, a discrete transponder code was assigned, and radar contact was established. Except along the coast, WX was not a factor and the visibility was at least 20+ mi. There was no relevant cloud cover, that was not a factor. As I was about to exit B airspace northbound, sfo tower handed me off to nct. I continued with them until they handed me off to sfo again for the sbound class B transition. At approximately treasure island I requested a second class B transition from approach control. I was instructed, as expected, to proceed west of the 101 freeway then to fly sbound. They handed me back off to sfo tower. I was level at about 1500-1700 ft MSL. I established radio contact with sfo tower following the handoff. ATC issued to me a standard wake turbulence warning regarding a jet that had just rotated from runway 28R. Much to my surprise, the jet proceeded to turn to the right and, essentially, climbed right over me. I was just west of the 101 freeway by about 1/8 mi. As he started to make his right turn after takeoff, I commented to my passenger that 'I didn't like the look of this.' it was unclr to me how far and how fast to the right he was turning, and his rate of climb. Given his rate of turn and heading, he probably passed above my ground track immediately behind me. At the point where we passed, he appeared to still be in a right turn. My immediate concern wasn't a mid-air collision but rather, severe and unavoidable wake turbulence. I did briefly initiate a turn to my left (away from him), but then realized that if I were to hit his wake, I wanted my wings to be level at that moment so I resumed my previous heading. I reduced my throttle, at or below maneuvering (va) speed, should I hit his wake. The controller had issued a TA to him at the last min, but I did not hear an acknowledgement from him. I don't recall that the tower was working any other aircraft at this time, although there may have been 1 airplane on approach to the runway 28's. This situation was totally avoidable. I could have been paying closer attention to the tower communication with the jet before his takeoff clearance. Perhaps if I had heard the assigned heading -- realizing that he would be turning direct at me -- I could have responded differently or at least had time to speak up. (There is a possibility that the takeoff clearance was given prior to me being on the tower frequency.) I could have deduced the upcoming conflict from the issuance of the wake turbulence warning. I could have realized the potential conflict sooner and made a hard left turn to the east, and a steep descent, to increase separation. ATC could have briefly delayed the takeoff instructions to the jet. ATC could have held the jet in position until I crossed the departure end of the runway. ATC could have delayed any turn given the jet, continuing him on a runway heading. ATC could have given the jet a different initial heading until clear of me, a partial turn to the right would have created a divergence course with mine. ATC could have given him a slower rate of turn, that would have had the jet turning and climbing well behind me. ATC could have given me a better alert as to the projected flight path of the jet when the wake turbulence warning was issued, that would have allowed me to turn to the left (east) to increase separation. Certainly the controller knew that this situation was possible, given his wake turbulence warning to me. This was an amazing experience for a number of reasons. I was in visual contact with thejet from shortly after he rotated, until he passed over me. I could see the situation developing, but I was unable to project his rate of turn and climb to my own position. For several moments, I was unable to project his rate of climb to my own altitude. Accordingly, I made no evasive turns to avoid a possible collision, nor did I make an emergency dive, although briefly I considered both. A climb was never an option. After it became apparent that he would pass just above me and slightly to my right, my next concern was the very real possibility of passing through his wake. I have replayed this situation several times over in my mind, and tried to imagine what I could have done differently. Since I was unclr as to his intentions, any variation from my heading and altitude could have been either better or worse. I feel that I was in the right. Realistically, I think this was a controller induced situation combined with the jet not looking out his window after the TA. I am not sure the jet ever saw me. The controller had a very light workload and there was no apparent pressure for him to turn the air carrier over my position. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that he does not recall being assigned a particular altitude in his transition clearance. He had not monitored sfo ATIS and did not know what departures were in progress at sfo. He also reinforced his inability to predict the flight path of the departing large transport and thus initiate an appropriate avoidance maneuver.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C172 HAD CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH B767 WHILE OPERATING ON A VFR 'BAY TOUR' CLRNC IN SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I AM A COMMERCIAL PLT (AIRPLANE, SINGLE-ENG) WITH CURRENT INST AND CFI RATINGS. I ALSO WAS A FORMER AIR TFC CTLR AT ORD. DURING THE SIT, I WAS FLYING FOR PLEASURE WITH 1 PAX. MY ACFT, A C172SP, WAS INVOLVED WITH AN ACR JET, PERHAPS A B757 OR B767 DEPARTING SFO. THE ACR PASSED NEEDLESSLY TOO CLOSE TO MY ACFT. I WAS ON A SBOUND SFO CLASS B VFR TRANSITION AND THE DEPARTING AND CLBING ACR WAS TURNED TOWARD MY ACFT. MY PAX AND I ESTIMATED THAT HE PASSED WITHIN 300-400 HORIZ FT (HE WAS TO MY R) AND PERHAPS 300 FT ABOVE MY ALT IN A CLBING R TURN. LOCATION WAS INSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT SAN FRANCISCO. PRIOR TO ENTERING SFO CLASS B, AN APPROVAL FOR THE CLASS B TRANSITION WAS GRANTED BY SFO TWR, A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE WAS ASSIGNED, AND RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED. EXCEPT ALONG THE COAST, WX WAS NOT A FACTOR AND THE VISIBILITY WAS AT LEAST 20+ MI. THERE WAS NO RELEVANT CLOUD COVER, THAT WAS NOT A FACTOR. AS I WAS ABOUT TO EXIT B AIRSPACE NBOUND, SFO TWR HANDED ME OFF TO NCT. I CONTINUED WITH THEM UNTIL THEY HANDED ME OFF TO SFO AGAIN FOR THE SBOUND CLASS B TRANSITION. AT APPROX TREASURE ISLAND I REQUESTED A SECOND CLASS B TRANSITION FROM APCH CTL. I WAS INSTRUCTED, AS EXPECTED, TO PROCEED W OF THE 101 FREEWAY THEN TO FLY SBOUND. THEY HANDED ME BACK OFF TO SFO TWR. I WAS LEVEL AT ABOUT 1500-1700 FT MSL. I ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH SFO TWR FOLLOWING THE HDOF. ATC ISSUED TO ME A STANDARD WAKE TURB WARNING REGARDING A JET THAT HAD JUST ROTATED FROM RWY 28R. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, THE JET PROCEEDED TO TURN TO THE R AND, ESSENTIALLY, CLBED RIGHT OVER ME. I WAS JUST W OF THE 101 FREEWAY BY ABOUT 1/8 MI. AS HE STARTED TO MAKE HIS R TURN AFTER TKOF, I COMMENTED TO MY PAX THAT 'I DIDN'T LIKE THE LOOK OF THIS.' IT WAS UNCLR TO ME HOW FAR AND HOW FAST TO THE R HE WAS TURNING, AND HIS RATE OF CLB. GIVEN HIS RATE OF TURN AND HEADING, HE PROBABLY PASSED ABOVE MY GND TRACK IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME. AT THE POINT WHERE WE PASSED, HE APPEARED TO STILL BE IN A R TURN. MY IMMEDIATE CONCERN WASN'T A MID-AIR COLLISION BUT RATHER, SEVERE AND UNAVOIDABLE WAKE TURB. I DID BRIEFLY INITIATE A TURN TO MY L (AWAY FROM HIM), BUT THEN REALIZED THAT IF I WERE TO HIT HIS WAKE, I WANTED MY WINGS TO BE LEVEL AT THAT MOMENT SO I RESUMED MY PREVIOUS HEADING. I REDUCED MY THROTTLE, AT OR BELOW MANEUVERING (VA) SPD, SHOULD I HIT HIS WAKE. THE CTLR HAD ISSUED A TA TO HIM AT THE LAST MIN, BUT I DID NOT HEAR AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM HIM. I DON'T RECALL THAT THE TWR WAS WORKING ANY OTHER ACFT AT THIS TIME, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY HAVE BEEN 1 AIRPLANE ON APCH TO THE RWY 28'S. THIS SIT WAS TOTALLY AVOIDABLE. I COULD HAVE BEEN PAYING CLOSER ATTN TO THE TWR COM WITH THE JET BEFORE HIS TKOF CLRNC. PERHAPS IF I HAD HEARD THE ASSIGNED HEADING -- REALIZING THAT HE WOULD BE TURNING DIRECT AT ME -- I COULD HAVE RESPONDED DIFFERENTLY OR AT LEAST HAD TIME TO SPEAK UP. (THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE TKOF CLRNC WAS GIVEN PRIOR TO ME BEING ON THE TWR FREQ.) I COULD HAVE DEDUCED THE UPCOMING CONFLICT FROM THE ISSUANCE OF THE WAKE TURB WARNING. I COULD HAVE REALIZED THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT SOONER AND MADE A HARD L TURN TO THE E, AND A STEEP DSCNT, TO INCREASE SEPARATION. ATC COULD HAVE BRIEFLY DELAYED THE TKOF INSTRUCTIONS TO THE JET. ATC COULD HAVE HELD THE JET IN POS UNTIL I CROSSED THE DEP END OF THE RWY. ATC COULD HAVE DELAYED ANY TURN GIVEN THE JET, CONTINUING HIM ON A RWY HEADING. ATC COULD HAVE GIVEN THE JET A DIFFERENT INITIAL HEADING UNTIL CLR OF ME, A PARTIAL TURN TO THE R WOULD HAVE CREATED A DIVERGENCE COURSE WITH MINE. ATC COULD HAVE GIVEN HIM A SLOWER RATE OF TURN, THAT WOULD HAVE HAD THE JET TURNING AND CLBING WELL BEHIND ME. ATC COULD HAVE GIVEN ME A BETTER ALERT AS TO THE PROJECTED FLT PATH OF THE JET WHEN THE WAKE TURB WARNING WAS ISSUED, THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME TO TURN TO THE L (E) TO INCREASE SEPARATION. CERTAINLY THE CTLR KNEW THAT THIS SIT WAS POSSIBLE, GIVEN HIS WAKE TURB WARNING TO ME. THIS WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. I WAS IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THEJET FROM SHORTLY AFTER HE ROTATED, UNTIL HE PASSED OVER ME. I COULD SEE THE SIT DEVELOPING, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO PROJECT HIS RATE OF TURN AND CLB TO MY OWN POS. FOR SEVERAL MOMENTS, I WAS UNABLE TO PROJECT HIS RATE OF CLB TO MY OWN ALT. ACCORDINGLY, I MADE NO EVASIVE TURNS TO AVOID A POSSIBLE COLLISION, NOR DID I MAKE AN EMER DIVE, ALTHOUGH BRIEFLY I CONSIDERED BOTH. A CLB WAS NEVER AN OPTION. AFTER IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE WOULD PASS JUST ABOVE ME AND SLIGHTLY TO MY R, MY NEXT CONCERN WAS THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY OF PASSING THROUGH HIS WAKE. I HAVE REPLAYED THIS SIT SEVERAL TIMES OVER IN MY MIND, AND TRIED TO IMAGINE WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. SINCE I WAS UNCLR AS TO HIS INTENTIONS, ANY VARIATION FROM MY HEADING AND ALT COULD HAVE BEEN EITHER BETTER OR WORSE. I FEEL THAT I WAS IN THE RIGHT. REALISTICALLY, I THINK THIS WAS A CTLR INDUCED SIT COMBINED WITH THE JET NOT LOOKING OUT HIS WINDOW AFTER THE TA. I AM NOT SURE THE JET EVER SAW ME. THE CTLR HAD A VERY LIGHT WORKLOAD AND THERE WAS NO APPARENT PRESSURE FOR HIM TO TURN THE ACR OVER MY POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT HE DOES NOT RECALL BEING ASSIGNED A PARTICULAR ALT IN HIS TRANSITION CLRNC. HE HAD NOT MONITORED SFO ATIS AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT DEPS WERE IN PROGRESS AT SFO. HE ALSO REINFORCED HIS INABILITY TO PREDICT THE FLT PATH OF THE DEPARTING LGT AND THUS INITIATE AN APPROPRIATE AVOIDANCE MANEUVER.

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.