Narrative:

Upon departing runway 18 at 3KM, I flew the recommended right-hand pattern to position myself for a north departure. I maintained pattern altitude (2000' MSL) until clear of the pattern, and then began a climb northbound. As I was climbing through 3000' MSL, I saw an fgt approaching from the north, inbound to mcconnell AFB. We both saw one another at the same moment, and each of us had about 1 second to make minimal corrective action. Had we not seen one another, I believe we would have missed, but it would have been extremely close. Because 3KM sits outside of the wichita arsa, a northbound flight off of jabara does not dictate working wichita approach. Furthermore, working approach does not alleviate an individual from the duty of see and avoid. It is unfortunate that 3KM is in such a precarious position. The airport has a high # of movements and is positioned in between the approach rtes of the beechcraft factory and mcconnell AFB. Working approach control might be a key to avoiding a situation like this in the future, however, it is not the entire answer. Often approach is so busy they cannot work a new aircraft immediately. My near miss occurred within 120 seconds of departure! I did learn one thing--when departing 3KM on a VFR flight, an attempt should be made to remain at pattern altitude until well clear of the final approach path into mcconnell.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN SMT DEPARTING UNCONTROLLED ARPT AND FGT APCHING AFB.

Narrative: UPON DEPARTING RWY 18 AT 3KM, I FLEW THE RECOMMENDED RIGHT-HAND PATTERN TO POS MYSELF FOR A N DEP. I MAINTAINED PATTERN ALT (2000' MSL) UNTIL CLR OF THE PATTERN, AND THEN BEGAN A CLB NBND. AS I WAS CLBING THROUGH 3000' MSL, I SAW AN FGT APCHING FROM THE N, INBOUND TO MCCONNELL AFB. WE BOTH SAW ONE ANOTHER AT THE SAME MOMENT, AND EACH OF US HAD ABOUT 1 SEC TO MAKE MINIMAL CORRECTIVE ACTION. HAD WE NOT SEEN ONE ANOTHER, I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE MISSED, BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY CLOSE. BECAUSE 3KM SITS OUTSIDE OF THE WICHITA ARSA, A NBOUND FLT OFF OF JABARA DOES NOT DICTATE WORKING WICHITA APCH. FURTHERMORE, WORKING APCH DOES NOT ALLEVIATE AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE DUTY OF SEE AND AVOID. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT 3KM IS IN SUCH A PRECARIOUS POS. THE ARPT HAS A HIGH # OF MOVEMENTS AND IS POSITIONED IN BTWN THE APCH RTES OF THE BEECHCRAFT FACTORY AND MCCONNELL AFB. WORKING APCH CTL MIGHT BE A KEY TO AVOIDING A SITUATION LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE, HOWEVER, IT IS NOT THE ENTIRE ANSWER. OFTEN APCH IS SO BUSY THEY CANNOT WORK A NEW ACFT IMMEDIATELY. MY NEAR MISS OCCURRED WITHIN 120 SECS OF DEP! I DID LEARN ONE THING--WHEN DEPARTING 3KM ON A VFR FLT, AN ATTEMPT SHOULD BE MADE TO REMAIN AT PATTERN ALT UNTIL WELL CLR OF THE FINAL APCH PATH INTO MCCONNELL.

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.