Narrative:

On dec/sat/95, I was departing an uncontrolled airport located northwest of santa barbara, that airport being santa-ynez, ca. On the appropriate frequency, I reported that I was departing the active runway 26, and then I flew the adjusted crosswind leg recommended for noise abatement. At this point, my passenger advised me that she hoped to view a house in santa-ynez. I climbed until I had reached pattern altitude, 1700 ft MSL, leveled off, and then entered a very gradual turn to the right, clearing the airspace in that direction. By doing this we passed over the house and rolled out on a heading of 080 degrees, now north of the airfield and basically on a right downwind from the runway I had departed. This would be my on-course heading for my destination of orange county. My WX briefing had forecast moderate to severe turbulence at the lower altitudes near the mountains, which we were already encountering, and so upon rolling wings level, I pitched for vy, our best rate of climb, which results in a fairly high pitch attitude. I planned to periodically lower the nose to scan for traffic, but never had the chance, for while 300 ft later, while leaving 2000 ft MSL, I came close to colliding with a tow-plane and glider in tow. My first reaction was that of surprise, for I had only 1 second to raise our nose even higher before these aircraft passed slightly below and ahead of us. Never had I come so close to another object in flight. My second reaction was to try to make sense of what just happened! My guess was that the tow-plane had departed shortly after me, and had made a climbing left 270 degrees, as pictured in my diagram, although I had not observed a single radio call from this other aircraft. Due to our confign, a low-wing aircraft converging above a high-wing aircraft (the worst scenario), I was only able to detect this aircraft 1 second before this occurrence, and he may have not seen me at all! Disturbing as it was, I believe that I have learned from what happened, and as a flight instructor, plan to share this with others. I plan to emphasize to others our responsibility for collision avoidance, especially in a non-radar environment, as the one I was operating in, as well as proper ways to clear airspace around an aircraft. Equally important, I will stress never to assume that you are not on a collision course with another aircraft, even if the radio is silent for mins. And I will review with them how low-wing, paired with high-wing aircraft share a very dangerous blind spot. I was fortunate to meet the editor of magazine last month, and plan to contact her in regards to writing an article on this subject! Lastly, NASA's ASRS is new to me, yet I find it very useful to the aviation industry, and will relay what I know about this program to other pilots as necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: ON DEC/SAT/95, I WAS DEPARTING AN UNCTLED ARPT LOCATED NW OF SANTA BARBARA, THAT ARPT BEING SANTA-YNEZ, CA. ON THE APPROPRIATE FREQ, I RPTED THAT I WAS DEPARTING THE ACTIVE RWY 26, AND THEN I FLEW THE ADJUSTED XWIND LEG RECOMMENDED FOR NOISE ABATEMENT. AT THIS POINT, MY PAX ADVISED ME THAT SHE HOPED TO VIEW A HOUSE IN SANTA-YNEZ. I CLBED UNTIL I HAD REACHED PATTERN ALT, 1700 FT MSL, LEVELED OFF, AND THEN ENTERED A VERY GRADUAL TURN TO THE R, CLRING THE AIRSPACE IN THAT DIRECTION. BY DOING THIS WE PASSED OVER THE HOUSE AND ROLLED OUT ON A HEADING OF 080 DEGS, NOW N OF THE AIRFIELD AND BASICALLY ON A R DOWNWIND FROM THE RWY I HAD DEPARTED. THIS WOULD BE MY ON-COURSE HEADING FOR MY DEST OF ORANGE COUNTY. MY WX BRIEFING HAD FORECAST MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB AT THE LOWER ALTS NEAR THE MOUNTAINS, WHICH WE WERE ALREADY ENCOUNTERING, AND SO UPON ROLLING WINGS LEVEL, I PITCHED FOR VY, OUR BEST RATE OF CLB, WHICH RESULTS IN A FAIRLY HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE. I PLANNED TO PERIODICALLY LOWER THE NOSE TO SCAN FOR TFC, BUT NEVER HAD THE CHANCE, FOR WHILE 300 FT LATER, WHILE LEAVING 2000 FT MSL, I CAME CLOSE TO COLLIDING WITH A TOW-PLANE AND GLIDER IN TOW. MY FIRST REACTION WAS THAT OF SURPRISE, FOR I HAD ONLY 1 SECOND TO RAISE OUR NOSE EVEN HIGHER BEFORE THESE ACFT PASSED SLIGHTLY BELOW AND AHEAD OF US. NEVER HAD I COME SO CLOSE TO ANOTHER OBJECT IN FLT. MY SECOND REACTION WAS TO TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED! MY GUESS WAS THAT THE TOW-PLANE HAD DEPARTED SHORTLY AFTER ME, AND HAD MADE A CLBING L 270 DEGS, AS PICTURED IN MY DIAGRAM, ALTHOUGH I HAD NOT OBSERVED A SINGLE RADIO CALL FROM THIS OTHER ACFT. DUE TO OUR CONFIGN, A LOW-WING ACFT CONVERGING ABOVE A HIGH-WING ACFT (THE WORST SCENARIO), I WAS ONLY ABLE TO DETECT THIS ACFT 1 SECOND BEFORE THIS OCCURRENCE, AND HE MAY HAVE NOT SEEN ME AT ALL! DISTURBING AS IT WAS, I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM WHAT HAPPENED, AND AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR, PLAN TO SHARE THIS WITH OTHERS. I PLAN TO EMPHASIZE TO OTHERS OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE, ESPECIALLY IN A NON-RADAR ENVIRONMENT, AS THE ONE I WAS OPERATING IN, AS WELL AS PROPER WAYS TO CLR AIRSPACE AROUND AN ACFT. EQUALLY IMPORTANT, I WILL STRESS NEVER TO ASSUME THAT YOU ARE NOT ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH ANOTHER ACFT, EVEN IF THE RADIO IS SILENT FOR MINS. AND I WILL REVIEW WITH THEM HOW LOW-WING, PAIRED WITH HIGH-WING ACFT SHARE A VERY DANGEROUS BLIND SPOT. I WAS FORTUNATE TO MEET THE EDITOR OF MAGAZINE LAST MONTH, AND PLAN TO CONTACT HER IN REGARDS TO WRITING AN ARTICLE ON THIS SUBJECT! LASTLY, NASA'S ASRS IS NEW TO ME, YET I FIND IT VERY USEFUL TO THE AVIATION INDUSTRY, AND WILL RELAY WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THIS PROGRAM TO OTHER PLTS AS NECESSARY.

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.