Narrative:

On a training flight (trainee is CFI and new flying club member) we departed runway 9L at opf and cleared for a left downwind departure. Local airport rules call for maintaining 2000 ft or below when out of the air traffic area. During cruise/climb (130 mph) on left downwind, approximately midfield and 1 mi north of runway, pilot and I spotted opposite direction high wing small aircraft slightly lower and to the (our) right. We passed too quickly for any meaningful evasive action. The small aircraft then asked tower about our aircraft which it said was 'about 2000 ft.' we had been at 1650 ft at the time of this near miss and leveled at 1800 ft. Tower asked our altitude and confirmed that our mode C was showing 1800 ft. We later learned the small aircraft was a highway patrol aircraft flying traffic tracking patrol on state road 826, which parallels runway 9L just slightly north. Tower knew he was there flying opposite direction to normal pattern traffic, but gave no advisory to us on them, no altitude restriction or any other warning. We also learned after landing that the small aircraft was also carrying an FAA employee. This is a terribly dangerous situation. Highway patrol should not be allowed to fly this duty at low altitude (standard pattern altitude at opf is 1500 ft for twins) within the geographic confines of the pattern altitude at any airport, much less a busy airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 SMA'S HAVE NMAC WHILE IN THE OPF ATA.

Narrative: ON A TRAINING FLT (TRAINEE IS CFI AND NEW FLYING CLUB MEMBER) WE DEPARTED RWY 9L AT OPF AND CLRED FOR A L DOWNWIND DEP. LCL ARPT RULES CALL FOR MAINTAINING 2000 FT OR BELOW WHEN OUT OF THE ATA. DURING CRUISE/CLB (130 MPH) ON L DOWNWIND, APPROX MIDFIELD AND 1 MI N OF RWY, PLT AND I SPOTTED OPPOSITE DIRECTION HIGH WING SMA SLIGHTLY LOWER AND TO THE (OUR) R. WE PASSED TOO QUICKLY FOR ANY MEANINGFUL EVASIVE ACTION. THE SMA THEN ASKED TWR ABOUT OUR ACFT WHICH IT SAID WAS 'ABOUT 2000 FT.' WE HAD BEEN AT 1650 FT AT THE TIME OF THIS NEAR MISS AND LEVELED AT 1800 FT. TWR ASKED OUR ALT AND CONFIRMED THAT OUR MODE C WAS SHOWING 1800 FT. WE LATER LEARNED THE SMA WAS A HWY PATROL ACFT FLYING TFC TRACKING PATROL ON STATE ROAD 826, WHICH PARALLELS RWY 9L JUST SLIGHTLY N. TWR KNEW HE WAS THERE FLYING OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO NORMAL PATTERN TFC, BUT GAVE NO ADVISORY TO US ON THEM, NO ALT RESTRICTION OR ANY OTHER WARNING. WE ALSO LEARNED AFTER LNDG THAT THE SMA WAS ALSO CARRYING AN FAA EMPLOYEE. THIS IS A TERRIBLY DANGEROUS SIT. HWY PATROL SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO FLY THIS DUTY AT LOW ALT (STANDARD PATTERN ALT AT OPF IS 1500 FT FOR TWINS) WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC CONFINES OF THE PATTERN ALT AT ANY ARPT, MUCH LESS A BUSY ARPT.

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.