Narrative:

On feb/thu/05 under VMC with more than 10 mi visibility and sky clear below 12000 ft with winds light and variable; I departed gnoss field (dvo) in my PA28-180; shortly after XA00 hours with 2 passenger for a bay area tour. I made a flight following request to oakland and announced my intentions to fly from gnoss to half moon bay along the coast at or below 2000 ft avoiding class B airspace and doing a 180 degree turn and returning to gnoss over the golden gate bridge and san pablo bay. I told her I would take the 3500 ft; and read back the restr to maintain 3500 ft and that I was cleared for class B airspace. While on the coast route at 3500 ft; at a heading of approximately 160-170 degrees; and about abeam and west of the sutro tower; I saw a heavy departing from what looked like runway 28 at sfo. It was heading for me. ATC called the heavy to me and told the heavy of the cherokee heading south at 3500 ft. I acknowledged seeing the air carrier heavy and the heavy acknowledged seeing me. ATC told the heavy to climb from 3000 to 4000 ft which could have caused a conflict. ATC then corrected herself and told the heavy to remain at 3000 ft. I started to climb as the heavy passed directly underneath me. I estimate the separation at the time of the incident to be about 500 ft. The pilot of the heavy told ATC 'I passed right under the cherokee!' and ATC said 'I am sorry about that' or something similar. Supplemental information from acn 646602: approximately 5 mins after departure from runway 28R on the molen 3 from sfo; an amended climb clearance resulted in a TCASII RA with a 400 ft vertical and 0 ft lateral separation with a light single engine aircraft. Our initial clearance on departure was to 3000 ft. Passing approximately 2000 ft; we were cleared to maintain 4000 ft. As we were passing approximately 2800 ft; hand flying; approaching 250 KTS; vertical speed about 1500 FPM; LNAV in a shallow right turn; norcal amended our clearance to maintain 3000 ft. 3000 ft was reset in the MCP window and I adjusted the attitude to stop the climb and start a descent; as we overshot to about 3250 ft. An RA to descend was heard; and I adjusted pitch; already below the red pitch avoidance area; a few degrees lower. We spotted the light single engine aircraft pass directly overhead at 3500 ft; opposite direction. We were at 3100 ft; descending slightly. Autothrottles were disconnected as they were slow to adjust to the altitude input. None of us (4 pilots) saw the aircraft until moments before it passed about 400 ft directly overhead. TCASII worked well. ATC made the right quick amendment to the altitude clearance. The small aircraft was not spotted visually until at about 1 mi; because of windshield dividers and climbing right turn. The remainder of the climb out; and flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR PA28 AT 3500 FT IN SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE EXPERIENCED CONFLICT WHEN ATC WAS LATE IN ASSIGNING AN INTERIM ALT TO SFO HVY DEP.

Narrative: ON FEB/THU/05 UNDER VMC WITH MORE THAN 10 MI VISIBILITY AND SKY CLR BELOW 12000 FT WITH WINDS LIGHT AND VARIABLE; I DEPARTED GNOSS FIELD (DVO) IN MY PA28-180; SHORTLY AFTER XA00 HRS WITH 2 PAX FOR A BAY AREA TOUR. I MADE A FLT FOLLOWING REQUEST TO OAKLAND AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO FLY FROM GNOSS TO HALF MOON BAY ALONG THE COAST AT OR BELOW 2000 FT AVOIDING CLASS B AIRSPACE AND DOING A 180 DEG TURN AND RETURNING TO GNOSS OVER THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE AND SAN PABLO BAY. I TOLD HER I WOULD TAKE THE 3500 FT; AND READ BACK THE RESTR TO MAINTAIN 3500 FT AND THAT I WAS CLRED FOR CLASS B AIRSPACE. WHILE ON THE COAST RTE AT 3500 FT; AT A HDG OF APPROX 160-170 DEGS; AND ABOUT ABEAM AND W OF THE SUTRO TWR; I SAW A HVY DEPARTING FROM WHAT LOOKED LIKE RWY 28 AT SFO. IT WAS HEADING FOR ME. ATC CALLED THE HVY TO ME AND TOLD THE HVY OF THE CHEROKEE HDG S AT 3500 FT. I ACKNOWLEDGED SEEING THE ACR HVY AND THE HVY ACKNOWLEDGED SEEING ME. ATC TOLD THE HVY TO CLB FROM 3000 TO 4000 FT WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A CONFLICT. ATC THEN CORRECTED HERSELF AND TOLD THE HVY TO REMAIN AT 3000 FT. I STARTED TO CLB AS THE HVY PASSED DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH ME. I ESTIMATE THE SEPARATION AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT TO BE ABOUT 500 FT. THE PLT OF THE HVY TOLD ATC 'I PASSED RIGHT UNDER THE CHEROKEE!' AND ATC SAID 'I AM SORRY ABOUT THAT' OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 646602: APPROX 5 MINS AFTER DEP FROM RWY 28R ON THE MOLEN 3 FROM SFO; AN AMENDED CLB CLRNC RESULTED IN A TCASII RA WITH A 400 FT VERT AND 0 FT LATERAL SEPARATION WITH A LIGHT SINGLE ENG ACFT. OUR INITIAL CLRNC ON DEP WAS TO 3000 FT. PASSING APPROX 2000 FT; WE WERE CLRED TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. AS WE WERE PASSING APPROX 2800 FT; HAND FLYING; APCHING 250 KTS; VERT SPD ABOUT 1500 FPM; LNAV IN A SHALLOW R TURN; NORCAL AMENDED OUR CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT. 3000 FT WAS RESET IN THE MCP WINDOW AND I ADJUSTED THE ATTITUDE TO STOP THE CLB AND START A DSCNT; AS WE OVERSHOT TO ABOUT 3250 FT. AN RA TO DSND WAS HEARD; AND I ADJUSTED PITCH; ALREADY BELOW THE RED PITCH AVOIDANCE AREA; A FEW DEGS LOWER. WE SPOTTED THE LIGHT SINGLE ENG ACFT PASS DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AT 3500 FT; OPPOSITE DIRECTION. WE WERE AT 3100 FT; DSNDING SLIGHTLY. AUTOTHROTTLES WERE DISCONNECTED AS THEY WERE SLOW TO ADJUST TO THE ALT INPUT. NONE OF US (4 PLTS) SAW THE ACFT UNTIL MOMENTS BEFORE IT PASSED ABOUT 400 FT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. TCASII WORKED WELL. ATC MADE THE RIGHT QUICK AMENDMENT TO THE ALT CLRNC. THE SMALL ACFT WAS NOT SPOTTED VISUALLY UNTIL AT ABOUT 1 MI; BECAUSE OF WINDSHIELD DIVIDERS AND CLBING R TURN. THE REMAINDER OF THE CLBOUT; AND FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.