Narrative:

Small aircraft X was issued a clearance for takeoff on runway 23R at rickenbacker airport. Tower said something that I didn't understand, however, I heard that a left turn on course was approved. (We were going to depart VFR to the east to fairfield county for touch-and-goes.) I then asked tower if we were cleared for left turn on course after departure. Tower said that a left turn on course was approved, airspeed and altitude permitting. Immediately after liftoff, tower informed us of a tanker Y on downwind, then he corrected himself and said that the tanker Y was on a right base for runway 5R. At this point my student started a left turn for an easterly heading. I informed tower that I had the tanker Y on base for 5R in sight. On our left turn to east, we crossed and cleared above runway 5R. On an easterly heading and climbing at roughly 350 FPM, at approximately 4 mi and about 1400-1500 MSL, I thought I heard the sound of jet engines and, not seeing any aircraft to the front or sides of us, I immediately took control of the aircraft, stopped the climb, and began rocking the wings to look for aircraft. I did not see another aircraft at this time. I then heard a transmission telling tower that there was an small aircraft that flew through the pattern at an altitude that I didn't catch and that he came very close to it. He then told tower they might want to get an 'north' number. Tower then told this other person that there was an small aircraft departing to the east and that the small aircraft said he saw him (the other voice) and would maintain visual separation. At this point I saw a large aircraft at about my 3:30 position and about 300 ft above my altitude. Tower then contacted us and told that a tanker Y pilot said he came very close to us and asked if we saw him. I told tower that I didn't see him before but saw him then and that he must have past directly over top of us. Tower then questioned me on why I did not see the aircraft which was the same one that I had reported seeing on base for runway 5R earlier. I told tower that I saw him on base but did not know that he was going to do a touch-and-go and stay in a right closed traffic pattern. This is the end of the incident. I feel this incident would have been prevented by the tower letting both aircraft involved know about the other. If 1 aircraft were to be notified exclusively, it should have been the tanker Y instead of us because once we turned eastbound, the tanker was behind our 3 O'clock and 9 O'clock position the entire time. It would have helped also if we knew that the tanker Y would be in a right pattern after his touch-and-go. It would have also helped if I were given an assigned altitude until clear of the air traffic area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X HAD NMAC WITH TANKER Y IN ATA. SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: SMA X WAS ISSUED A CLRNC FOR TKOF ON RWY 23R AT RICKENBACKER ARPT. TWR SAID SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, HOWEVER, I HEARD THAT A L TURN ON COURSE WAS APPROVED. (WE WERE GOING TO DEPART VFR TO THE E TO FAIRFIELD COUNTY FOR TOUCH-AND-GOES.) I THEN ASKED TWR IF WE WERE CLRED FOR L TURN ON COURSE AFTER DEP. TWR SAID THAT A L TURN ON COURSE WAS APPROVED, AIRSPD AND ALT PERMITTING. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LIFTOFF, TWR INFORMED US OF A TANKER Y ON DOWNWIND, THEN HE CORRECTED HIMSELF AND SAID THAT THE TANKER Y WAS ON A R BASE FOR RWY 5R. AT THIS POINT MY STUDENT STARTED A L TURN FOR AN EASTERLY HDG. I INFORMED TWR THAT I HAD THE TANKER Y ON BASE FOR 5R IN SIGHT. ON OUR L TURN TO E, WE CROSSED AND CLRED ABOVE RWY 5R. ON AN EASTERLY HDG AND CLBING AT ROUGHLY 350 FPM, AT APPROX 4 MI AND ABOUT 1400-1500 MSL, I THOUGHT I HEARD THE SOUND OF JET ENGS AND, NOT SEEING ANY ACFT TO THE FRONT OR SIDES OF US, I IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT, STOPPED THE CLB, AND BEGAN ROCKING THE WINGS TO LOOK FOR ACFT. I DID NOT SEE ANOTHER ACFT AT THIS TIME. I THEN HEARD A XMISSION TELLING TWR THAT THERE WAS AN SMA THAT FLEW THROUGH THE PATTERN AT AN ALT THAT I DIDN'T CATCH AND THAT HE CAME VERY CLOSE TO IT. HE THEN TOLD TWR THEY MIGHT WANT TO GET AN 'N' NUMBER. TWR THEN TOLD THIS OTHER PERSON THAT THERE WAS AN SMA DEPARTING TO THE E AND THAT THE SMA SAID HE SAW HIM (THE OTHER VOICE) AND WOULD MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. AT THIS POINT I SAW A LARGE ACFT AT ABOUT MY 3:30 POS AND ABOUT 300 FT ABOVE MY ALT. TWR THEN CONTACTED US AND TOLD THAT A TANKER Y PLT SAID HE CAME VERY CLOSE TO US AND ASKED IF WE SAW HIM. I TOLD TWR THAT I DIDN'T SEE HIM BEFORE BUT SAW HIM THEN AND THAT HE MUST HAVE PAST DIRECTLY OVER TOP OF US. TWR THEN QUESTIONED ME ON WHY I DID NOT SEE THE ACFT WHICH WAS THE SAME ONE THAT I HAD RPTED SEEING ON BASE FOR RWY 5R EARLIER. I TOLD TWR THAT I SAW HIM ON BASE BUT DID NOT KNOW THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO A TOUCH-AND-GO AND STAY IN A R CLOSED TFC PATTERN. THIS IS THE END OF THE INCIDENT. I FEEL THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY THE TWR LETTING BOTH ACFT INVOLVED KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER. IF 1 ACFT WERE TO BE NOTIFIED EXCLUSIVELY, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE TANKER Y INSTEAD OF US BECAUSE ONCE WE TURNED EBOUND, THE TANKER WAS BEHIND OUR 3 O'CLOCK AND 9 O'CLOCK POS THE ENTIRE TIME. IT WOULD HAVE HELPED ALSO IF WE KNEW THAT THE TANKER Y WOULD BE IN A R PATTERN AFTER HIS TOUCH-AND-GO. IT WOULD HAVE ALSO HELPED IF I WERE GIVEN AN ASSIGNED ALT UNTIL CLR OF THE ATA.

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.