Narrative:

I was at 2000 ft MSL (1200 ft AGL) 2 mi west of the control tower. I heard tower instruct an aircraft to expedite through 2000 ft, so of course my scan focused on anything below coming up as I was at 2000 ft. I saw the aircraft at 12 O'clock position and climbing about 1/4 mi ahead coming straight at me. No warning from tower! I turned right to avoid the oncoming traffic, when they turned left back in to my path! I banked a hard left, as they were approaching rapidly (no landing light on, a low wing, single engine aircraft). I don't believe the other aircraft even saw us, even though I did have my light on. Tower was busy at that time of day, lots of acrs, but he had just cleared me to continue on course (I normally cross the airport mid-field, and exercise diligence as to who is landing, taking off, going around, on course headings given, etc, so I'll know what to expect. Why or how I missed telltale communication, I don't know, but tower never advised me of its approach. For one thing, I believe I would have spotted the approaching aircraft sooner if he or she had their landing light on. Tower knew my position and could have vectored the other aircraft away from me until clear, or vice versa. As it was a busy time on ATC I did not call 'tower' to say we'd just had a close call. I didn't want to make waves, as the owner of the traffic watch aircraft has been having a bit of a feud with tower, involving their LOA. I should have called 'tower' on the phone, when I landed to see what happened, but again I was trying not to cause any friction. My conscious feels a little better, now that I have filled out this report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF TFC WATCH SMA ACFT HAS NMAC WITH SINGLE ENG ACFT CLBING THROUGH HIS ALT. BOTH ARE ON TA'S FROM THE TWR.

Narrative: I WAS AT 2000 FT MSL (1200 FT AGL) 2 MI W OF THE CTL TWR. I HEARD TWR INSTRUCT AN ACFT TO EXPEDITE THROUGH 2000 FT, SO OF COURSE MY SCAN FOCUSED ON ANYTHING BELOW COMING UP AS I WAS AT 2000 FT. I SAW THE ACFT AT 12 O'CLOCK POS AND CLBING ABOUT 1/4 MI AHEAD COMING STRAIGHT AT ME. NO WARNING FROM TWR! I TURNED R TO AVOID THE ONCOMING TFC, WHEN THEY TURNED L BACK IN TO MY PATH! I BANKED A HARD L, AS THEY WERE APCHING RAPIDLY (NO LNDG LIGHT ON, A LOW WING, SINGLE ENG ACFT). I DON'T BELIEVE THE OTHER ACFT EVEN SAW US, EVEN THOUGH I DID HAVE MY LIGHT ON. TWR WAS BUSY AT THAT TIME OF DAY, LOTS OF ACRS, BUT HE HAD JUST CLRED ME TO CONTINUE ON COURSE (I NORMALLY CROSS THE ARPT MID-FIELD, AND EXERCISE DILIGENCE AS TO WHO IS LNDG, TAKING OFF, GOING AROUND, ON COURSE HEADINGS GIVEN, ETC, SO I'LL KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. WHY OR HOW I MISSED TELLTALE COM, I DON'T KNOW, BUT TWR NEVER ADVISED ME OF ITS APCH. FOR ONE THING, I BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE SPOTTED THE APCHING ACFT SOONER IF HE OR SHE HAD THEIR LNDG LIGHT ON. TWR KNEW MY POS AND COULD HAVE VECTORED THE OTHER ACFT AWAY FROM ME UNTIL CLR, OR VICE VERSA. AS IT WAS A BUSY TIME ON ATC I DID NOT CALL 'TWR' TO SAY WE'D JUST HAD A CLOSE CALL. I DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE WAVES, AS THE OWNER OF THE TFC WATCH ACFT HAS BEEN HAVING A BIT OF A FEUD WITH TWR, INVOLVING THEIR LOA. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED 'TWR' ON THE PHONE, WHEN I LANDED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED, BUT AGAIN I WAS TRYING NOT TO CAUSE ANY FRICTION. MY CONSCIOUS FEELS A LITTLE BETTER, NOW THAT I HAVE FILLED OUT THIS RPT.

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.