Narrative:

A little after XA00 local time (XH00Z) I departed hollister (307) en route for san jose (sjc). After listening to ATIS at sjc, I made my initial call to norcal approach approximately 8 NM wnw of 307 on 120.1. I was given a transponder code of XXXX and told to identify. Within a min, the controller came back with 'radar contact' with a position relative to sjc and told me to 'proceed direct to pruneyard 2500 ft for sequencing.' this is the usual clearance when approaching sjc from this location. The pruneyard is a VFR waypoint a few mi sse of sjc. Flying inbound to the pruneyard, I continued to monitor ATC, but heard no other transmission directed to me. There were several other aircraft on frequency, so this didn't surprise me. I proceeded towards the pruneyard via the foothills west of the runway 30L final approach corridor. I initially climbed to 4500 ft MSL, but almost immediately started a VFR descent. At some point between receiving my last call and arriving over the greater san jose city area, I believe there was a change in controllers. Sometime before the incident, I heard a call for a cessna (aircraft #2). I don't remember his n-number or destination, but his desired heading was 120 degrees. Due to the cloud cover, he asked to stay at 3500 ft. The controller acknowledged and gave him a heading of 140 degrees. After this, I heard a call to his aircraft that included 'traffic 12 O'clock position, less than 1 mi, type unknown, altitude 3500 ft.' he acknowledged I think that he would turn right. Almost immediately, I saw a cessna at my 1 O'clock position roughly 200 ft above me. I watched as the cessna flew over me after which it started a turn to the right when at my 7-8 O'clock position. At that point, I figured that the 'type unknown' traffic was probably me. In a short amount of time, say 1 or 2 mins, I arrived over the pruneyard. I was expecting that at or before my arrival over the pruneyard I would get a handoff to sjc tower (124.0). When I arrived at the pruneyard, I called norcal approach informing them that I was at the pruneyard. They replied back with something like 'who is at the pruneyard?' I repeated my call sign and was asked to standby. I informed them that I would circle to the south. They came back with a new transponder code YYYY and then handed me off to sjc tower where I landed. I accept that under VFR flight rules I am responsible to see and avoid. I did notice the other traffic, but by that time, it was probably no more than .75 mi away. Given that the cessna was above me and I was already descending, I didn't take any additional measures. I believe that the approach controller lost track of me, possibly during a controller handoff. The controller did not call out any TA's and seemed surprised when I called up over the pruneyard. Also, the assignment of a new transponder code leads me to believe that he needed to 'get me back into the system.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE36 PLT AND A CESSNA HAD AN NMAC IN SJC CLASS E UNDER NCT CTL.

Narrative: A LITTLE AFTER XA00 LCL TIME (XH00Z) I DEPARTED HOLLISTER (307) ENRTE FOR SAN JOSE (SJC). AFTER LISTENING TO ATIS AT SJC, I MADE MY INITIAL CALL TO NORCAL APCH APPROX 8 NM WNW OF 307 ON 120.1. I WAS GIVEN A XPONDER CODE OF XXXX AND TOLD TO IDENT. WITHIN A MIN, THE CTLR CAME BACK WITH 'RADAR CONTACT' WITH A POS RELATIVE TO SJC AND TOLD ME TO 'PROCEED DIRECT TO PRUNEYARD 2500 FT FOR SEQUENCING.' THIS IS THE USUAL CLRNC WHEN APCHING SJC FROM THIS LOCATION. THE PRUNEYARD IS A VFR WAYPOINT A FEW MI SSE OF SJC. FLYING INBOUND TO THE PRUNEYARD, I CONTINUED TO MONITOR ATC, BUT HEARD NO OTHER XMISSION DIRECTED TO ME. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER ACFT ON FREQ, SO THIS DIDN'T SURPRISE ME. I PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE PRUNEYARD VIA THE FOOTHILLS W OF THE RWY 30L FINAL APCH CORRIDOR. I INITIALLY CLBED TO 4500 FT MSL, BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY STARTED A VFR DSCNT. AT SOME POINT BTWN RECEIVING MY LAST CALL AND ARRIVING OVER THE GREATER SAN JOSE CITY AREA, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A CHANGE IN CTLRS. SOMETIME BEFORE THE INCIDENT, I HEARD A CALL FOR A CESSNA (ACFT #2). I DON'T REMEMBER HIS N-NUMBER OR DEST, BUT HIS DESIRED HEADING WAS 120 DEGS. DUE TO THE CLOUD COVER, HE ASKED TO STAY AT 3500 FT. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED AND GAVE HIM A HEADING OF 140 DEGS. AFTER THIS, I HEARD A CALL TO HIS ACFT THAT INCLUDED 'TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS, LESS THAN 1 MI, TYPE UNKNOWN, ALT 3500 FT.' HE ACKNOWLEDGED I THINK THAT HE WOULD TURN R. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, I SAW A CESSNA AT MY 1 O'CLOCK POS ROUGHLY 200 FT ABOVE ME. I WATCHED AS THE CESSNA FLEW OVER ME AFTER WHICH IT STARTED A TURN TO THE R WHEN AT MY 7-8 O'CLOCK POS. AT THAT POINT, I FIGURED THAT THE 'TYPE UNKNOWN' TFC WAS PROBABLY ME. IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, SAY 1 OR 2 MINS, I ARRIVED OVER THE PRUNEYARD. I WAS EXPECTING THAT AT OR BEFORE MY ARR OVER THE PRUNEYARD I WOULD GET A HDOF TO SJC TWR (124.0). WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE PRUNEYARD, I CALLED NORCAL APCH INFORMING THEM THAT I WAS AT THE PRUNEYARD. THEY REPLIED BACK WITH SOMETHING LIKE 'WHO IS AT THE PRUNEYARD?' I REPEATED MY CALL SIGN AND WAS ASKED TO STANDBY. I INFORMED THEM THAT I WOULD CIRCLE TO THE S. THEY CAME BACK WITH A NEW XPONDER CODE YYYY AND THEN HANDED ME OFF TO SJC TWR WHERE I LANDED. I ACCEPT THAT UNDER VFR FLT RULES I AM RESPONSIBLE TO SEE AND AVOID. I DID NOTICE THE OTHER TFC, BUT BY THAT TIME, IT WAS PROBABLY NO MORE THAN .75 MI AWAY. GIVEN THAT THE CESSNA WAS ABOVE ME AND I WAS ALREADY DSNDING, I DIDN'T TAKE ANY ADDITIONAL MEASURES. I BELIEVE THAT THE APCH CTLR LOST TRACK OF ME, POSSIBLY DURING A CTLR HDOF. THE CTLR DID NOT CALL OUT ANY TA'S AND SEEMED SURPRISED WHEN I CALLED UP OVER THE PRUNEYARD. ALSO, THE ASSIGNMENT OF A NEW XPONDER CODE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT HE NEEDED TO 'GET ME BACK INTO THE SYS.'

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.