Narrative:

I requested a frequency to contact socal for flight following from toa to see on V25-V27 over the ocean. I requested a downwind departure from runway 29. The tower cleared me to take the runway for a standard departure. I responded that I was not sure that I knew what a standard departure consisted of. The tower cleared me to take off after telling me to hold in position on the runway. The takeoff clearance included the phrase 'standard departure.' I made a maximum angle of climb takeoff maintaining runway heading until past the end of the runway, then started a climbing r- hand turn downwind, which I thought was a standard downwind departure. The tower called to ask me if I had made a standard departure and informed me that I was nearly involved in a midair collision. A third party stated that the miss distance had been about 100 ft. The third party was probably the aircraft in the landing pattern involved in the near miss. The tower cleared me to change frequency. I never saw the other aircraft. I had flown into toa on several occasions but not within the last 6 months. I recall, on a previous departure, the tower had told me to turn right 45 degrees after takeoff, then had later cleared me to continue my turn to the right when I was clear of traffic. I now conclude, after the fact of today's events, that the tower on that previous occasion had talked me through a 'standard departure.' I could have prevented this event by calling the tower on the phone in the pilot's lounge and discussing with them my departure plan. The tower could have prevented this event by responding to my call 'I'm not sure what a standard departure is.' I think that persons particularly familiar with the unique traffic rules of a particular airport sometimes become 'smug' in their knowledge to the point that they do not help pilots not as familiar as themselves in the traffic pattern. In this case, the tower could have called me to level my wings when I turned beyond the 45 degree. My aircraft is not often at toa and my activity there was limited to arrival and departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT HAS AN NMAC DURING HIS NON STANDARD DEP PROC FROM TOA ARPT.

Narrative: I REQUESTED A FREQ TO CONTACT SOCAL FOR FLT FOLLOWING FROM TOA TO SEE ON V25-V27 OVER THE OCEAN. I REQUESTED A DOWNWIND DEP FROM RWY 29. THE TWR CLRED ME TO TAKE THE RWY FOR A STANDARD DEP. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS NOT SURE THAT I KNEW WHAT A STANDARD DEP CONSISTED OF. THE TWR CLRED ME TO TAKE OFF AFTER TELLING ME TO HOLD IN POS ON THE RWY. THE TKOF CLRNC INCLUDED THE PHRASE 'STANDARD DEP.' I MADE A MAX ANGLE OF CLB TKOF MAINTAINING RWY HDG UNTIL PAST THE END OF THE RWY, THEN STARTED A CLBING R- HAND TURN DOWNWIND, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A STANDARD DOWNWIND DEP. THE TWR CALLED TO ASK ME IF I HAD MADE A STANDARD DEP AND INFORMED ME THAT I WAS NEARLY INVOLVED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION. A THIRD PARTY STATED THAT THE MISS DISTANCE HAD BEEN ABOUT 100 FT. THE THIRD PARTY WAS PROBABLY THE ACFT IN THE LNDG PATTERN INVOLVED IN THE NEAR MISS. THE TWR CLRED ME TO CHANGE FREQ. I NEVER SAW THE OTHER ACFT. I HAD FLOWN INTO TOA ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BUT NOT WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. I RECALL, ON A PREVIOUS DEP, THE TWR HAD TOLD ME TO TURN R 45 DEGS AFTER TKOF, THEN HAD LATER CLRED ME TO CONTINUE MY TURN TO THE R WHEN I WAS CLR OF TFC. I NOW CONCLUDE, AFTER THE FACT OF TODAY'S EVENTS, THAT THE TWR ON THAT PREVIOUS OCCASION HAD TALKED ME THROUGH A 'STANDARD DEP.' I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS EVENT BY CALLING THE TWR ON THE PHONE IN THE PLT'S LOUNGE AND DISCUSSING WITH THEM MY DEP PLAN. THE TWR COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS EVENT BY RESPONDING TO MY CALL 'I'M NOT SURE WHAT A STANDARD DEP IS.' I THINK THAT PERSONS PARTICULARLY FAMILIAR WITH THE UNIQUE TFC RULES OF A PARTICULAR ARPT SOMETIMES BECOME 'SMUG' IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE TO THE POINT THAT THEY DO NOT HELP PLTS NOT AS FAMILIAR AS THEMSELVES IN THE TFC PATTERN. IN THIS CASE, THE TWR COULD HAVE CALLED ME TO LEVEL MY WINGS WHEN I TURNED BEYOND THE 45 DEG. MY ACFT IS NOT OFTEN AT TOA AND MY ACTIVITY THERE WAS LIMITED TO ARR AND DEP.

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.