SMA HAS NMAC WITH JET ACFT IN CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative

WHILE CLBING OUT FROM WHP I CALLED BUR TWR TO REQUEST TRANSITION TO SMO AND WAS TOLD TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS C AIRSPACE; SO I REMAINED OVER WHP UNTIL BEING TOLD TO FOLLOW THE GOLDEN STATE FREEWAY E (WHICH PASSES SW OF WHP) AND TO REMAIN VFR AT OR BELOW 2500 FT. I AM UNAWARE OF BEING GIVEN ANY ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS. I TURNED S TO INTERCEPT THE GOLDEN STATE FREEWAY WHILE CLBING TO 2500 FT; WHILE TRYING TO FIND THE FREEWAY AMONG THE MANY CITY LIGHTS BELOW ME. I KEPT MY LNDG LIGHTS ON TO MAXIMIZE MY VISIBILITY TO OTHER ACFT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE CTLR TOLD ME TO TURN TO HDG 090 DEGS NOW; WHICH I DID. AS I RECALL AT THIS POINT I WAS STILL NW OF BUR; BY PERHAPS 2 MI OR SO. SUBSEQUENTLY; I SAW A JET TRANSPORT PASSING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OVERHEAD; PERHAPS 500 FT ABOVE ME. THE CTLR STATED THAT I HAD BEEN FOLLOWING THE HOLLYWOOD FREEWAY INSTEAD OF THE GOLDEN STATE FREEWAY AND SUGGESTED THAT I ASK IN THE FUTURE IF UNSURE. SUBSEQUENTLY; SHE CLRED ME ON COURSE AND OFF THE FREQ. SUCH A CLOSE PASS IS VERY DISCONCERTING AND I HAVE TRIED TO THINK WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY. I AM INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH BOTH THE AIRSPACE AROUND WHP AND THE ROADS; HAVING FLOWN OUT OF THE AREA AND LIVED IN LOS ANGELES FOR A NUMBER OF YRS. I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT DIRECTIONS TO FOLLOW A FREEWAY ARE DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW; NO MATTER HOW FAMILIAR ONE MIGHT BE WITH THE AREA. TRYING TO PICK A SPECIFIC FREEWAY AT NIGHT OUT OF THE MAZE OF LIGHTS ON THE GND IS DIFFICULT AT BEST. THIS JET MAY HAVE DEPARTED ON RWY 26 FROM BUR; NOT THE USUAL RWY FOR DEPS IN MY EXPERIENCE. ALTHOUGH THE CTLR HAD MENTIONED THAT TFC WOULD BE DEPARTING FROM BUR I HAD NO IDEA THAT ANY TFC WOULD BE CLBING OUT TO THE W OR NW. I WOULD MUCH RATHER HOLD OVER WHP THAN VENTURE FORTH UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN CLRED TO ENTER THE CLASS C AIRSPACE WITH RELATIVELY IMPRECISE INSTRUCTIONS WHICH HAVE THE KIND OF POTENTIAL FOR ERROR THAT THESE DID THAT I HAD REASON TO BELIEVE THAT NO KNOWN TFC WOULD BE HEADED IN MY GENERAL DIRECTION. I HAVE THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS FOR TFC CTL IN SUCH CONGESTED AREAS: 1) ASSIGN VECTORS RATHER THAN INSTRUCTIONS BASED ON GND REFS WHICH MAY BE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN (THE CTLR NEVER ASKED ME IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA). 2) KEEP AN ACFT SUCH AS MINE OUT OF THE AIRSPACE UNTIL THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT HAS PASSED. IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE EVEN MORE CAREFUL ABOUT MY NAV UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES; AND WILL REQUEST A HDG ASSIGNMENT.