Narrative:

I was cleared by the tower to enter left downwind for runway 36 for landing and instructed to report downwind at midfield. I entered the downwind leg, reported entry to the tower and put the landing gear down. I was at 800 ft and 120 mph. When I looked up from checking the gear down light, a cherokee was climbing on a wbound heading into my position. It was too late to take evasive action. The cherokee had departed space center executive airport on runway 36 and had turned wbound well inside the airport perimeter. He was not in a position that was consistent with the normal flow of traffic. Contributing factors were: a 15 KT wind from 360 degrees that enabled the cherokee to reach altitude well inside the airport perimeter, and the pilot's disregard of standard departure procedures. He probably frightened himself because he called the tower immediately to ask if I saw him. I did see him but it was too late for me to take any evasive action. I did not see the cherokee change heading or reduce his rate of climb to avoid traffic at his 12 O'clock position. In retrospect: the cherokee was at my 9 O'clock position when I saw him. It is unusual that I saw him at all. The area that is normally scanned and monitored on downwind is forward and to each side of the airplane for traffic on a parallel track. If this guy will publish his schedule for flts in this area, I will lock my airplane in the hangar during those times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA TWIN ON L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36 AT TIX SAW A PA28 PASS IN CLOSE PROX FROM L TO R WITH NO TIME FOR EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED BY THE TWR TO ENTER L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36 FOR LNDG AND INSTRUCTED TO RPT DOWNWIND AT MIDFIELD. I ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG, RPTED ENTRY TO THE TWR AND PUT THE LNDG GEAR DOWN. I WAS AT 800 FT AND 120 MPH. WHEN I LOOKED UP FROM CHKING THE GEAR DOWN LIGHT, A CHEROKEE WAS CLBING ON A WBOUND HDG INTO MY POS. IT WAS TOO LATE TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. THE CHEROKEE HAD DEPARTED SPACE CENTER EXECUTIVE ARPT ON RWY 36 AND HAD TURNED WBOUND WELL INSIDE THE ARPT PERIMETER. HE WAS NOT IN A POS THAT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE NORMAL FLOW OF TFC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: A 15 KT WIND FROM 360 DEGS THAT ENABLED THE CHEROKEE TO REACH ALT WELL INSIDE THE ARPT PERIMETER, AND THE PLT'S DISREGARD OF STANDARD DEP PROCS. HE PROBABLY FRIGHTENED HIMSELF BECAUSE HE CALLED THE TWR IMMEDIATELY TO ASK IF I SAW HIM. I DID SEE HIM BUT IT WAS TOO LATE FOR ME TO TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION. I DID NOT SEE THE CHEROKEE CHANGE HDG OR REDUCE HIS RATE OF CLB TO AVOID TFC AT HIS 12 O'CLOCK POS. IN RETROSPECT: THE CHEROKEE WAS AT MY 9 O'CLOCK POS WHEN I SAW HIM. IT IS UNUSUAL THAT I SAW HIM AT ALL. THE AREA THAT IS NORMALLY SCANNED AND MONITORED ON DOWNWIND IS FORWARD AND TO EACH SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE FOR TFC ON A PARALLEL TRACK. IF THIS GUY WILL PUBLISH HIS SCHEDULE FOR FLTS IN THIS AREA, I WILL LOCK MY AIRPLANE IN THE HANGAR DURING THOSE TIMES.

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.