Narrative:

I was departing santa monica airport VFR on runway 21. I made a right crosswind departure at the shoreline. Flying past the santa monica pier, I made a right turn to about a 210 degree heading, heading toward the encino reservoir. Despite leaving santa monica class D airspace I was still monitoring the tower frequency for radar advisory. Watching for traffic, I noticed a plane at my 11 O'clock position coming closer. At that point I was level at 2700 ft MSL cruising at about 110 KTS. While trying to determine the plane's attitude, the tower advised me of the traffic at my 11 O'clock position at 2700 ft. I acknowledged the advisory and responded that I have the traffic in sight. All of a sudden, I saw how close the plane was and I knew that I had to do something very quick. I immediately made a right turn trying to separate our flight paths as much as possible. Once I started my right turn, the pilot of the other plane turned right as well separating us about 600 ft. I could see that it was a light twin with retractable gear. Heading back to vny, my mind was running on 110%. I realized how close that was and I questioned myself what could I do in the future to prevent this from happening again. After driving home, I had the desire to get more information about it. I looked up the telephone number of the FAA tower in santa monica and gave them a call. Explaining to them beforehand that I was not calling to blame somebody, rather to get the view from a controller's standpoint on the radar. He was reassuring me that it was not that close and that he had issued me the TA when we were 1 mi apart. Furthermore, he was telling me that the other plane was in a descent into santa monica airport. I experienced first hand how hard it is to determine the flight attitude of other traffic at night. I will take action much earlier to make sure the traffic is moving across my windshield.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT AND A LIGHT TWIN HAD AN NMAC NEAR SMO AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I WAS DEPARTING SANTA MONICA ARPT VFR ON RWY 21. I MADE A R XWIND DEP AT THE SHORELINE. FLYING PAST THE SANTA MONICA PIER, I MADE A R TURN TO ABOUT A 210 DEG HDG, HEADING TOWARD THE ENCINO RESERVOIR. DESPITE LEAVING SANTA MONICA CLASS D AIRSPACE I WAS STILL MONITORING THE TWR FREQ FOR RADAR ADVISORY. WATCHING FOR TFC, I NOTICED A PLANE AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS COMING CLOSER. AT THAT POINT I WAS LEVEL AT 2700 FT MSL CRUISING AT ABOUT 110 KTS. WHILE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE PLANE'S ATTITUDE, THE TWR ADVISED ME OF THE TFC AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS AT 2700 FT. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE ADVISORY AND RESPONDED THAT I HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I SAW HOW CLOSE THE PLANE WAS AND I KNEW THAT I HAD TO DO SOMETHING VERY QUICK. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A R TURN TRYING TO SEPARATE OUR FLT PATHS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. ONCE I STARTED MY R TURN, THE PLT OF THE OTHER PLANE TURNED R AS WELL SEPARATING US ABOUT 600 FT. I COULD SEE THAT IT WAS A LIGHT TWIN WITH RETRACTABLE GEAR. HDG BACK TO VNY, MY MIND WAS RUNNING ON 110%. I REALIZED HOW CLOSE THAT WAS AND I QUESTIONED MYSELF WHAT COULD I DO IN THE FUTURE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. AFTER DRIVING HOME, I HAD THE DESIRE TO GET MORE INFO ABOUT IT. I LOOKED UP THE TELEPHONE NUMBER OF THE FAA TWR IN SANTA MONICA AND GAVE THEM A CALL. EXPLAINING TO THEM BEFOREHAND THAT I WAS NOT CALLING TO BLAME SOMEBODY, RATHER TO GET THE VIEW FROM A CTLR'S STANDPOINT ON THE RADAR. HE WAS REASSURING ME THAT IT WAS NOT THAT CLOSE AND THAT HE HAD ISSUED ME THE TA WHEN WE WERE 1 MI APART. FURTHERMORE, HE WAS TELLING ME THAT THE OTHER PLANE WAS IN A DSCNT INTO SANTA MONICA ARPT. I EXPERIENCED FIRST HAND HOW HARD IT IS TO DETERMINE THE FLT ATTITUDE OF OTHER TFC AT NIGHT. I WILL TAKE ACTION MUCH EARLIER TO MAKE SURE THE TFC IS MOVING ACROSS MY WINDSHIELD.

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.