Narrative:

On a VFR flight departing from ajo to pmd, I proceeded GPS direct to the pirro intersection. After contacting chino tower on 118.5 and requesting transition through their airspace to palmdale, I was told to 'follow freeway, remain east of freeway, and stay below 2400 ft MSL,' which I complied with. Approximately 5 M northwest of chino, I requested permission to switch frequencys to socal approach. Chino suggested 125.5, and said frequency change approved. My initial call-up to socal was responded to by a 'wait one.' at which point, the belly of another high wing cessna filled the upper portion of my windscreen. This aircraft was approximately 200 ft above and 500 ft in front of my aircraft. It was on a slightly more northerly route than I, and slightly faster. So, it moved from my left to right. While trying to maintain visual contact, I inadvertently turned my aircraft on a more northerly heading, since I did not want to put a wing up to the other aircraft. At which point, I lost partial situation awareness of the controled airspace around me. I became fixated on not violating the class charlie airspace above me, and wanting to maintain visual separation, I continued on this more northerly heading, and completely neglected the class D airspace around poc. At approximately 2 M southeast of the pom VOR, I got a response from socal to 'try again.' I reported my position, altitude, and destination. Socal responded with 'radar contact, climb unrestr, and will get back with a squawk code soon.' unfortunately, I was still shaken by the near-miss that I still failed to realize my violation of bracket's airspace. The controller came back with the squawk code, and then pointed out my transgression. The rest of the flight was uneventful. I believe that the chino instructions to 'follow the freeway, and remain east' actually sent me on a course to higher aircraft congestion, and toward more controled airspace. Unfortunately, I let them send me that way. If I had just proceeded to the pirro intersection, I would have avoided the brackett airspace, and after clearing the class C airspace, even at best climb, the C-152 I was flying would not have violated the class B airspace. In the future, I will need to better evaluate ATC instructions when it takes me from my planned route of flight. After reviewing the events, I believe that I should have taken evasive action when encountering the other aircraft. I could have made a descending r-hand turn while keeping the other aircraft in sight. Making this a 270 degree turn would have cleared me of the aircraft, and put me back on course to my intended route, and kept me clear of the class D airspace. I learned to fly in the socal basin, and this experience has pointed out to me that I might have had a higher tendency to let ATC 'lead me around' in an effort to 'fit in the system,' and that I need to take a more proactive stance when deviating from my intended course, even in the busy airspace of the lax basin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 PLT AND A C152 OR C172 HAD LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION IN SCT CLASS E.

Narrative: ON A VFR FLT DEPARTING FROM AJO TO PMD, I PROCEEDED GPS DIRECT TO THE PIRRO INTXN. AFTER CONTACTING CHINO TWR ON 118.5 AND REQUESTING TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE TO PALMDALE, I WAS TOLD TO 'FOLLOW FREEWAY, REMAIN E OF FREEWAY, AND STAY BELOW 2400 FT MSL,' WHICH I COMPLIED WITH. APPROX 5 M NW OF CHINO, I REQUESTED PERMISSION TO SWITCH FREQS TO SOCAL APCH. CHINO SUGGESTED 125.5, AND SAID FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. MY INITIAL CALL-UP TO SOCAL WAS RESPONDED TO BY A 'WAIT ONE.' AT WHICH POINT, THE BELLY OF ANOTHER HIGH WING CESSNA FILLED THE UPPER PORTION OF MY WINDSCREEN. THIS ACFT WAS APPROX 200 FT ABOVE AND 500 FT IN FRONT OF MY ACFT. IT WAS ON A SLIGHTLY MORE NORTHERLY RTE THAN I, AND SLIGHTLY FASTER. SO, IT MOVED FROM MY L TO R. WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT, I INADVERTENTLY TURNED MY ACFT ON A MORE NORTHERLY HDG, SINCE I DID NOT WANT TO PUT A WING UP TO THE OTHER ACFT. AT WHICH POINT, I LOST PARTIAL SIT AWARENESS OF THE CTLED AIRSPACE AROUND ME. I BECAME FIXATED ON NOT VIOLATING THE CLASS CHARLIE AIRSPACE ABOVE ME, AND WANTING TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION, I CONTINUED ON THIS MORE NORTHERLY HDG, AND COMPLETELY NEGLECTED THE CLASS D AIRSPACE AROUND POC. AT APPROX 2 M SE OF THE POM VOR, I GOT A RESPONSE FROM SOCAL TO 'TRY AGAIN.' I RPTED MY POS, ALT, AND DEST. SOCAL RESPONDED WITH 'RADAR CONTACT, CLB UNRESTR, AND WILL GET BACK WITH A SQUAWK CODE SOON.' UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS STILL SHAKEN BY THE NEAR-MISS THAT I STILL FAILED TO REALIZE MY VIOLATION OF BRACKET'S AIRSPACE. THE CTLR CAME BACK WITH THE SQUAWK CODE, AND THEN POINTED OUT MY TRANSGRESSION. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I BELIEVE THAT THE CHINO INSTRUCTIONS TO 'FOLLOW THE FREEWAY, AND REMAIN E' ACTUALLY SENT ME ON A COURSE TO HIGHER ACFT CONGESTION, AND TOWARD MORE CTLED AIRSPACE. UNFORTUNATELY, I LET THEM SEND ME THAT WAY. IF I HAD JUST PROCEEDED TO THE PIRRO INTXN, I WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE BRACKETT AIRSPACE, AND AFTER CLRING THE CLASS C AIRSPACE, EVEN AT BEST CLB, THE C-152 I WAS FLYING WOULD NOT HAVE VIOLATED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NEED TO BETTER EVALUATE ATC INSTRUCTIONS WHEN IT TAKES ME FROM MY PLANNED RTE OF FLT. AFTER REVIEWING THE EVENTS, I BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION WHEN ENCOUNTERING THE OTHER ACFT. I COULD HAVE MADE A DSNDING R-HAND TURN WHILE KEEPING THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT. MAKING THIS A 270 DEG TURN WOULD HAVE CLRED ME OF THE ACFT, AND PUT ME BACK ON COURSE TO MY INTENDED RTE, AND KEPT ME CLR OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. I LEARNED TO FLY IN THE SOCAL BASIN, AND THIS EXPERIENCE HAS POINTED OUT TO ME THAT I MIGHT HAVE HAD A HIGHER TENDENCY TO LET ATC 'LEAD ME AROUND' IN AN EFFORT TO 'FIT IN THE SYS,' AND THAT I NEED TO TAKE A MORE PROACTIVE STANCE WHEN DEVIATING FROM MY INTENDED COURSE, EVEN IN THE BUSY AIRSPACE OF THE LAX BASIN.

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.