Narrative:

I took off from the oakland airport for a 'bay tour.' before takeoff, I was given a squawk code, which I used throughout the flight. After takeoff, I was handed off to norcal approach and remained in constant contact with norcal throughout the flight. After flying along the san francisco waterfront, I asked for and received a clearance through the sfo class B airspace and proceeded past san carlos and palo alto. I was flying at 2000 ft MSL. When I was abeam moffett field, norcal advised me to cross san jose airport midfield and then turn towards the embassy suites. I requested a vector, as I was unfamiliar with the embassy suites. Norcal gave me a vector of 022 degrees to turn to when I reached the san jose airport. Shortly thereafter, norcal warned me about a jet taking off from the san jose airport. I spotted the jet and saw it take off. I changed course to the right to give the jet a wide berth. When the jet was no longer a factor, I turned back towards the san jose airport and then started my turn to a heading of 022 degrees. This course placed me somewhat towards the departure end of san jose's runway 30. I was not mindful of crossing the runway precisely at midfield because I assumed that the jet that had just taken off was the hazard that norcal wanted me to avoid by crossing the airport at midfield. Norcal advised me to be more careful in the future about crossing at the exact midfield, and I acknowledged the advice. As I was crossing the runway, I was surprised to see a passenger jet taxi onto runway 30 and immediately start its takeoff roll. It appeared to me that the passenger jet would pass well below me, and this is what it appeared to do. After san jose tower handed the air carrier off to norcal, I heard the air carrier pilot complain to norcal about the proximity of my plane. The norcal controller assured the air carrier that both the norcal controller and the san jose tower had taken steps to assure separation between his B737 and me. Although, to the best of my recollection, the pilot did not state that he had come within 500 ft of me, he did complain that he had not been warned of my proximity to his takeoff route. If there was a failure to maintain adequate separation, my failure to cross runway 30 at its midpoint was a contributing factor. To prevent a recurrence, I should be more careful to comply exactly with an instruction to cross an airport at midfield. It would have been helpful if norcal had handed me off to the san jose tower before I crossed the airport. If I had heard the tower clear the air carrier to take off without waiting for me to cross the runway, I would have turned to give the jet a wider berth, as I had done in the case of the first jet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT DID NOT EXACTLY FOLLOW NCT'S DIRECTIONS, CAUSING AN ACR B737 PLT DEPARTING SJC TO COMMENT ON THE PROX OF THE RPTR'S ACFT.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM THE OAKLAND ARPT FOR A 'BAY TOUR.' BEFORE TKOF, I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE, WHICH I USED THROUGHOUT THE FLT. AFTER TKOF, I WAS HANDED OFF TO NORCAL APCH AND REMAINED IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH NORCAL THROUGHOUT THE FLT. AFTER FLYING ALONG THE SAN FRANCISCO WATERFRONT, I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A CLRNC THROUGH THE SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE AND PROCEEDED PAST SAN CARLOS AND PALO ALTO. I WAS FLYING AT 2000 FT MSL. WHEN I WAS ABEAM MOFFETT FIELD, NORCAL ADVISED ME TO CROSS SAN JOSE ARPT MIDFIELD AND THEN TURN TOWARDS THE EMBASSY SUITES. I REQUESTED A VECTOR, AS I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE EMBASSY SUITES. NORCAL GAVE ME A VECTOR OF 022 DEGS TO TURN TO WHEN I REACHED THE SAN JOSE ARPT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, NORCAL WARNED ME ABOUT A JET TAKING OFF FROM THE SAN JOSE ARPT. I SPOTTED THE JET AND SAW IT TAKE OFF. I CHANGED COURSE TO THE R TO GIVE THE JET A WIDE BERTH. WHEN THE JET WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR, I TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE SAN JOSE ARPT AND THEN STARTED MY TURN TO A HDG OF 022 DEGS. THIS COURSE PLACED ME SOMEWHAT TOWARDS THE DEP END OF SAN JOSE'S RWY 30. I WAS NOT MINDFUL OF XING THE RWY PRECISELY AT MIDFIELD BECAUSE I ASSUMED THAT THE JET THAT HAD JUST TAKEN OFF WAS THE HAZARD THAT NORCAL WANTED ME TO AVOID BY XING THE ARPT AT MIDFIELD. NORCAL ADVISED ME TO BE MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE ABOUT XING AT THE EXACT MIDFIELD, AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THE ADVICE. AS I WAS XING THE RWY, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE A PAX JET TAXI ONTO RWY 30 AND IMMEDIATELY START ITS TKOF ROLL. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THE PAX JET WOULD PASS WELL BELOW ME, AND THIS IS WHAT IT APPEARED TO DO. AFTER SAN JOSE TWR HANDED THE ACR OFF TO NORCAL, I HEARD THE ACR PLT COMPLAIN TO NORCAL ABOUT THE PROX OF MY PLANE. THE NORCAL CTLR ASSURED THE ACR THAT BOTH THE NORCAL CTLR AND THE SAN JOSE TWR HAD TAKEN STEPS TO ASSURE SEPARATION BTWN HIS B737 AND ME. ALTHOUGH, TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION, THE PLT DID NOT STATE THAT HE HAD COME WITHIN 500 FT OF ME, HE DID COMPLAIN THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN WARNED OF MY PROX TO HIS TKOF RTE. IF THERE WAS A FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SEPARATION, MY FAILURE TO CROSS RWY 30 AT ITS MIDPOINT WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, I SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL TO COMPLY EXACTLY WITH AN INSTRUCTION TO CROSS AN ARPT AT MIDFIELD. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IF NORCAL HAD HANDED ME OFF TO THE SAN JOSE TWR BEFORE I CROSSED THE ARPT. IF I HAD HEARD THE TWR CLR THE ACR TO TAKE OFF WITHOUT WAITING FOR ME TO CROSS THE RWY, I WOULD HAVE TURNED TO GIVE THE JET A WIDER BERTH, AS I HAD DONE IN THE CASE OF THE FIRST JET.

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.