Narrative:

I was flying sbound from madras, or (S33) to bend, or (S07), level at 4500 ft, about 1200 ft AGL. At 12 mi DME north of dsd, I radioed rdm tower and requested to transition through class D airspace at rdm to S07. Rdm tower cleared me to transition and told me to report when past the rdm airport. I had reported my position as 10 mi north of rdm and my altitude as 4500 ft. A moment later, rdm tower cautioned me about skydivers that were out about 10 mi east of my position. I called rdm tower and clarified my position as over crooked river ranch, a resort area about 10 mi nnw of the airport. Tower acknowledged. I continued sbound at 4500 ft MSL, at 120 KIAS. As I entered class D airspace, I heard rdm tower talking to a plane inbound near dsd. Soon after, I heard the tower clear a short sherpa to depart rdm. As I entered the area abeam rdm, I looked for the shorts, but didn't see it. Then I looked west toward dsd to check the airspace for inbound traffic. When I looked left (east) toward rdm, I saw the shorts at my 11 O'clock position at 200-300 ft. The shorts was in a climb attitude at my altitude. I immediately banked left and dove so as to pass behind the shorts. I believe the pilots of the sherpa saw me about the same time as I saw them because I saw their aircraft bank slightly left, away from me. I believe our 2 aircraft passed within 100-200 ft of each other. Immediately, I called rdm tower and told the controller we had a 'close one' with the shorts. After asking me to say again, rdm tower asked me to call them when I reached S07. I called and gave the contract tower employee a description of the event. Contributing factors: 1) I believe the tower did not warn the shorts or the inbound plane over dsd that I would be passing perpendicular to their flight paths. Nor did the tower warn me of the shorts' departure path. 2) in retrospect, I should have asked tower for a position report on the shorts when I didn't immediately see it. 3) the 2 pilots on the sherpa should have seen me earlier since I was initially above them and had my landing lights on. 4) if the sherpa pilots had seen me, they should have changed course, since I was to their right and under rules of right-of-way (far part 91.133(D)), had the right-of-way. 5) in peace time, if aircraft fly into civilian airports, they should have some bright orange or white paint. The sherpa's flat gray paint blended in with the sagebrush and juniper of central oregon's high desert, making it difficult to see from above.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A C172 TRANSITING THROUGH CLASS D AIRSPACE AND A SHORTS SHERPA CLBING OUT. BOTH ACFT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION UPON OBSERVING THE OTHER.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING SBOUND FROM MADRAS, OR (S33) TO BEND, OR (S07), LEVEL AT 4500 FT, ABOUT 1200 FT AGL. AT 12 MI DME N OF DSD, I RADIOED RDM TWR AND REQUESTED TO TRANSITION THROUGH CLASS D AIRSPACE AT RDM TO S07. RDM TWR CLRED ME TO TRANSITION AND TOLD ME TO RPT WHEN PAST THE RDM ARPT. I HAD RPTED MY POS AS 10 MI N OF RDM AND MY ALT AS 4500 FT. A MOMENT LATER, RDM TWR CAUTIONED ME ABOUT SKYDIVERS THAT WERE OUT ABOUT 10 MI E OF MY POS. I CALLED RDM TWR AND CLARIFIED MY POS AS OVER CROOKED RIVER RANCH, A RESORT AREA ABOUT 10 MI NNW OF THE ARPT. TWR ACKNOWLEDGED. I CONTINUED SBOUND AT 4500 FT MSL, AT 120 KIAS. AS I ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE, I HEARD RDM TWR TALKING TO A PLANE INBOUND NEAR DSD. SOON AFTER, I HEARD THE TWR CLR A SHORT SHERPA TO DEPART RDM. AS I ENTERED THE AREA ABEAM RDM, I LOOKED FOR THE SHORTS, BUT DIDN'T SEE IT. THEN I LOOKED W TOWARD DSD TO CHK THE AIRSPACE FOR INBOUND TFC. WHEN I LOOKED L (E) TOWARD RDM, I SAW THE SHORTS AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS AT 200-300 FT. THE SHORTS WAS IN A CLB ATTITUDE AT MY ALT. I IMMEDIATELY BANKED L AND DOVE SO AS TO PASS BEHIND THE SHORTS. I BELIEVE THE PLTS OF THE SHERPA SAW ME ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS I SAW THEM BECAUSE I SAW THEIR ACFT BANK SLIGHTLY L, AWAY FROM ME. I BELIEVE OUR 2 ACFT PASSED WITHIN 100-200 FT OF EACH OTHER. IMMEDIATELY, I CALLED RDM TWR AND TOLD THE CTLR WE HAD A 'CLOSE ONE' WITH THE SHORTS. AFTER ASKING ME TO SAY AGAIN, RDM TWR ASKED ME TO CALL THEM WHEN I REACHED S07. I CALLED AND GAVE THE CONTRACT TWR EMPLOYEE A DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) I BELIEVE THE TWR DID NOT WARN THE SHORTS OR THE INBOUND PLANE OVER DSD THAT I WOULD BE PASSING PERPENDICULAR TO THEIR FLT PATHS. NOR DID THE TWR WARN ME OF THE SHORTS' DEP PATH. 2) IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED TWR FOR A POS RPT ON THE SHORTS WHEN I DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY SEE IT. 3) THE 2 PLTS ON THE SHERPA SHOULD HAVE SEEN ME EARLIER SINCE I WAS INITIALLY ABOVE THEM AND HAD MY LNDG LIGHTS ON. 4) IF THE SHERPA PLTS HAD SEEN ME, THEY SHOULD HAVE CHANGED COURSE, SINCE I WAS TO THEIR R AND UNDER RULES OF RIGHT-OF-WAY (FAR PART 91.133(D)), HAD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. 5) IN PEACE TIME, IF ACFT FLY INTO CIVILIAN ARPTS, THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME BRIGHT ORANGE OR WHITE PAINT. THE SHERPA'S FLAT GRAY PAINT BLENDED IN WITH THE SAGEBRUSH AND JUNIPER OF CENTRAL OREGON'S HIGH DESERT, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM ABOVE.

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.