Narrative:

Departing orl VFR en route to fpr we requested a right downwind departure off runway 25. In order to expedite the flight we decided to avoid the mco arsa which lies overhead orl be remaining at 1400' until clear of the arsa. Tower approved our request for a downwind departure and cleared us to takeoff but never inquired as to our direction of flight--something which they normally do. Our eventual direction was southeast, across the final approach course for runway 25. Takeoff was uneventful and we turned downwind. At approximately midfield on a 1 1/2 mi wide downwind, the tower called us and advised us they had no traffic for us and that a frequency change was approved. This seemed a bit unusual considering we were moving at 200 KIAS within the air traffic area heading against the flight path of arriving aircraft. We acknowledged the transmission but continued to monitor the frequency. After passing abeam the approach end of the runway I began to turn to a southeasterly heading. Shortly thereafter I saw a twin engine small transport pass ahead and below us. I estimate our sep was never less than 200-300'. We did not take evasive action and I learned later that the other aircraft had not taken evasive action either. The events that led up to this potential midair began before we ever left the ground. The tower controller assumed that we were northeast bound away from incoming traffic, however we never indicated that nor were we ever questioned as to our eventual direction. Had he known we intended to cross the final approach course he probably would have issued us the traffic. Also, why we were cleared off the frequency while still in the air traffic area is somewhat confusing. In retrospect I think my eagerness to shorten the flight by staying below the arsa might have been an error in judgement. Had there been more communication and less assumption both on our part and on the tower's behalf a potential midair could have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX CPR-LTT GA-SMT IN ORL ATA.

Narrative: DEPARTING ORL VFR ENRTE TO FPR WE REQUESTED A RIGHT DOWNWIND DEP OFF RWY 25. IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE THE FLT WE DECIDED TO AVOID THE MCO ARSA WHICH LIES OVERHEAD ORL BE REMAINING AT 1400' UNTIL CLR OF THE ARSA. TWR APPROVED OUR REQUEST FOR A DOWNWIND DEP AND CLRED US TO TKOF BUT NEVER INQUIRED AS TO OUR DIRECTION OF FLT--SOMETHING WHICH THEY NORMALLY DO. OUR EVENTUAL DIRECTION WAS SE, ACROSS THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR RWY 25. TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE TURNED DOWNWIND. AT APPROX MIDFIELD ON A 1 1/2 MI WIDE DOWNWIND, THE TWR CALLED US AND ADVISED US THEY HAD NO TFC FOR US AND THAT A FREQ CHANGE WAS APPROVED. THIS SEEMED A BIT UNUSUAL CONSIDERING WE WERE MOVING AT 200 KIAS WITHIN THE ATA HDG AGAINST THE FLT PATH OF ARRIVING ACFT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION BUT CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE FREQ. AFTER PASSING ABEAM THE APCH END OF THE RWY I BEGAN TO TURN TO A SOUTHEASTERLY HDG. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I SAW A TWIN ENGINE SMT PASS AHEAD AND BELOW US. I ESTIMATE OUR SEP WAS NEVER LESS THAN 200-300'. WE DID NOT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AND I LEARNED LATER THAT THE OTHER ACFT HAD NOT TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION EITHER. THE EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THIS POTENTIAL MIDAIR BEGAN BEFORE WE EVER LEFT THE GND. THE TWR CTLR ASSUMED THAT WE WERE NE BOUND AWAY FROM INCOMING TFC, HOWEVER WE NEVER INDICATED THAT NOR WERE WE EVER QUESTIONED AS TO OUR EVENTUAL DIRECTION. HAD HE KNOWN WE INTENDED TO CROSS THE FINAL APCH COURSE HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ISSUED US THE TFC. ALSO, WHY WE WERE CLRED OFF THE FREQ WHILE STILL IN THE ATA IS SOMEWHAT CONFUSING. IN RETROSPECT I THINK MY EAGERNESS TO SHORTEN THE FLT BY STAYING BELOW THE ARSA MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT. HAD THERE BEEN MORE COM AND LESS ASSUMPTION BOTH ON OUR PART AND ON THE TWR'S BEHALF A POTENTIAL MIDAIR COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.