Near midair collision near a major VORTAC under class B airspace between a beech duchess 76 in level...

Attributes
ACN	423020
Time
Date	199812
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sli airport : lgb
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Duchess 76
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 880 flight time type : 37
ASRS Report	423020
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 100 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was given a TA on the centurion at, I think, 4 O'clock or 5 O'clock, ascending and flying in my direction. My copilot (passenger) and I spotted the aircraft. The aircraft was slowly gaining on us and approaching us from below. My copilot was performing radio tasks and notified socal that we had the traffic in sight. The centurion was also notified by ATC, but did not have us in sight. If I turned in either direction, I would've lost sight of the centurion, so I held my course, keeping him in sight, thinking that I could change course as necessary when we got closer. I think this is the important factor in the encounter. I did not want to lose sight of him! If I turned right, I would've lost sight of him below my wing. If I turned left, he would be behind me. As he got closer, I could see that he would pass behind me, so I continued my course and altitude. He evidently did not see me until I passed over and in front of him. He was startled by my proximity and so reported it to ATC. ATC reported that I had him in sight. I called in and indicated my regret for being as close as I appeared to him. With hindsight, now, I feel that I should've asked ATC to change his course or hold his altitude. This would've kept us further apart. Alternatively, I could've changed course when we first spotted him, but at that time I did not realize that we would be merging as closely as we did. I'm not sure why he did not see us earlier, even though he had high wings, we were in front of him. My copilot recommended I make this report, and I feel that it is a good idea. However, since it's been over a week since the encounter occurred, I'm not sure if I have the detailed data on the previous page correct. For example, it might have happened in the vicinity of sli rather than lgb, and I might have been flying at a higher altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC NEAR A MAJOR VORTAC UNDER CLASS B AIRSPACE BTWN A BEECH DUCHESS 76 IN LEVEL FLT AND A C210 CLBING TOWARD THE BE76. DEP CTLR GAVE A TA TO THE RPTR IN THE B376 OF THE C210 CLBING TOWARD HIM.

Narrative: I WAS GIVEN A TA ON THE CENTURION AT, I THINK, 4 O'CLOCK OR 5 O'CLOCK, ASCENDING AND FLYING IN MY DIRECTION. MY COPLT (PAX) AND I SPOTTED THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS SLOWLY GAINING ON US AND APCHING US FROM BELOW. MY COPLT WAS PERFORMING RADIO TASKS AND NOTIFIED SOCAL THAT WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. THE CENTURION WAS ALSO NOTIFIED BY ATC, BUT DID NOT HAVE US IN SIGHT. IF I TURNED IN EITHER DIRECTION, I WOULD'VE LOST SIGHT OF THE CENTURION, SO I HELD MY COURSE, KEEPING HIM IN SIGHT, THINKING THAT I COULD CHANGE COURSE AS NECESSARY WHEN WE GOT CLOSER. I THINK THIS IS THE IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE ENCOUNTER. I DID NOT WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF HIM! IF I TURNED R, I WOULD'VE LOST SIGHT OF HIM BELOW MY WING. IF I TURNED L, HE WOULD BE BEHIND ME. AS HE GOT CLOSER, I COULD SEE THAT HE WOULD PASS BEHIND ME, SO I CONTINUED MY COURSE AND ALT. HE EVIDENTLY DID NOT SEE ME UNTIL I PASSED OVER AND IN FRONT OF HIM. HE WAS STARTLED BY MY PROX AND SO RPTED IT TO ATC. ATC RPTED THAT I HAD HIM IN SIGHT. I CALLED IN AND INDICATED MY REGRET FOR BEING AS CLOSE AS I APPEARED TO HIM. WITH HINDSIGHT, NOW, I FEEL THAT I SHOULD'VE ASKED ATC TO CHANGE HIS COURSE OR HOLD HIS ALT. THIS WOULD'VE KEPT US FURTHER APART. ALTERNATIVELY, I COULD'VE CHANGED COURSE WHEN WE FIRST SPOTTED HIM, BUT AT THAT TIME I DID NOT REALIZE THAT WE WOULD BE MERGING AS CLOSELY AS WE DID. I'M NOT SURE WHY HE DID NOT SEE US EARLIER, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD HIGH WINGS, WE WERE IN FRONT OF HIM. MY COPLT RECOMMENDED I MAKE THIS RPT, AND I FEEL THAT IT IS A GOOD IDEA. HOWEVER, SINCE IT'S BEEN OVER A WK SINCE THE ENCOUNTER OCCURRED, I'M NOT SURE IF I HAVE THE DETAILED DATA ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE CORRECT. FOR EXAMPLE, IT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE VICINITY OF SLI RATHER THAN LGB, AND I MIGHT HAVE BEEN FLYING AT A HIGHER ALT.

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.

Near midair collision near a major VORTAC under class B airspace between a beech duchess 76 in level flight and a C210 climbing toward the BE76. Departure controller gave a TA to the reporter in the B376 of the C210 climbing toward him.