Narrative:

During a round robin cross country from prc-psp-hhr-prc, I was involved in a near midair which led to disorientation. I departed hawthorne, ca, at approximately XA00L and was cleared for a downwind departure from runway 25. I was following another aircraft cleared for the same departure a few mins before. I had sight of this traffic on upwind and crosswind. On downwind I still had traffic and was cleared to change frequency. I was flying a magnetic heading of 090 degrees and climbing to 2000 ft MSL. I was past compton airport when I saw traffic at 12 O'clock passing to the left. I was about to turn to the right to stay well clear and I spotted another aircraft to my right on a collision course at my altitude. I immediately added full power and pitched for best climb. I believe I passed directly overhead at 400-500 ft vertical separation. I had planned to turn back on course to avoid the santa ana class C. After avoiding the other traffic I became momentarily disoriented. I had the DME tuned into lax VOR and the vors dialed into paradise VORTAC. The vors were displaying conflicting information with 240 degree centered in one with a 'to' indication in one and the other displaying a 'from' with approximately 20 degree discrepancy. I was certain the VOR was east of my position so I continued east and began a climb to 5500 ft MSL while in a 360 degree turn. During the climbing turns I was trying to determine my exact position with pilotage and the la terminal chart. I determined I was north of nzj and 2 or 3 mi west of pleasants peak landmark. I flew in between that peak and santiago peak to my planned course to psp. I am concerned that I might have penetrated, either during cruise or climbing, the santa ana class C, el toro class C and possibly the class D airspace of long beach, fullerton or los alamitos aaf. I feel the major reason I was so easily disoriented was poor preflight review of prior planning. I had just landed at hhr approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours prior to departure. I had an obligation to return to prescott before XX30 due to the school's working hours. I feel had I taken more time to review my planned departure and how to best avoid the other airspace along my course, I should have also included in my plan a series of frequencys to call and stay in contact with. I feel that I could have prevented this entire incident by contacting ZLA for VFR flight following or even filing and departing IFR. I see now that flying IFR would have been a good idea in such a high traffic area. I also will not hesitate to call for assistance and swallow my pride next time -- if there is a next time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON CLBOUT HAS AN NMAC AND BECOMES DISORIENTED. HE MAY HAVE ENTERED CLASS C AND CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DURING A ROUND ROBIN XCOUNTRY FROM PRC-PSP-HHR-PRC, I WAS INVOLVED IN A NEAR MIDAIR WHICH LED TO DISORIENTATION. I DEPARTED HAWTHORNE, CA, AT APPROX XA00L AND WAS CLRED FOR A DOWNWIND DEP FROM RWY 25. I WAS FOLLOWING ANOTHER ACFT CLRED FOR THE SAME DEP A FEW MINS BEFORE. I HAD SIGHT OF THIS TFC ON UPWIND AND XWIND. ON DOWNWIND I STILL HAD TFC AND WAS CLRED TO CHANGE FREQ. I WAS FLYING A MAGNETIC HDG OF 090 DEGS AND CLBING TO 2000 FT MSL. I WAS PAST COMPTON ARPT WHEN I SAW TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK PASSING TO THE L. I WAS ABOUT TO TURN TO THE R TO STAY WELL CLR AND I SPOTTED ANOTHER ACFT TO MY R ON A COLLISION COURSE AT MY ALT. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED FULL PWR AND PITCHED FOR BEST CLB. I BELIEVE I PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AT 400-500 FT VERT SEPARATION. I HAD PLANNED TO TURN BACK ON COURSE TO AVOID THE SANTA ANA CLASS C. AFTER AVOIDING THE OTHER TFC I BECAME MOMENTARILY DISORIENTED. I HAD THE DME TUNED INTO LAX VOR AND THE VORS DIALED INTO PARADISE VORTAC. THE VORS WERE DISPLAYING CONFLICTING INFO WITH 240 DEG CTRED IN ONE WITH A 'TO' INDICATION IN ONE AND THE OTHER DISPLAYING A 'FROM' WITH APPROX 20 DEG DISCREPANCY. I WAS CERTAIN THE VOR WAS E OF MY POS SO I CONTINUED E AND BEGAN A CLB TO 5500 FT MSL WHILE IN A 360 DEG TURN. DURING THE CLBING TURNS I WAS TRYING TO DETERMINE MY EXACT POS WITH PILOTAGE AND THE LA TERMINAL CHART. I DETERMINED I WAS N OF NZJ AND 2 OR 3 MI W OF PLEASANTS PEAK LANDMARK. I FLEW IN BTWN THAT PEAK AND SANTIAGO PEAK TO MY PLANNED COURSE TO PSP. I AM CONCERNED THAT I MIGHT HAVE PENETRATED, EITHER DURING CRUISE OR CLBING, THE SANTA ANA CLASS C, EL TORO CLASS C AND POSSIBLY THE CLASS D AIRSPACE OF LONG BEACH, FULLERTON OR LOS ALAMITOS AAF. I FEEL THE MAJOR REASON I WAS SO EASILY DISORIENTED WAS POOR PREFLT REVIEW OF PRIOR PLANNING. I HAD JUST LANDED AT HHR APPROX 1 1/2 TO 2 HRS PRIOR TO DEP. I HAD AN OBLIGATION TO RETURN TO PRESCOTT BEFORE XX30 DUE TO THE SCHOOL'S WORKING HRS. I FEEL HAD I TAKEN MORE TIME TO REVIEW MY PLANNED DEP AND HOW TO BEST AVOID THE OTHER AIRSPACE ALONG MY COURSE, I SHOULD HAVE ALSO INCLUDED IN MY PLAN A SERIES OF FREQS TO CALL AND STAY IN CONTACT WITH. I FEEL THAT I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT BY CONTACTING ZLA FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING OR EVEN FILING AND DEPARTING IFR. I SEE NOW THAT FLYING IFR WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA IN SUCH A HIGH TFC AREA. I ALSO WILL NOT HESITATE TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE AND SWALLOW MY PRIDE NEXT TIME -- IF THERE IS A NEXT TIME.

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.