Narrative:

I was taking my father for his first ride since becoming a pilot. On my first departure I became concerned that the engine was not producing full power, so I returned for landing. After a full power run-up to clear fouled plugs and 1 trip around the pattern to confirm the solution, I departed northbound from runway 6 for sightseeing. Shortly after departure, I heard another plane call the tower inbound for landing from the north. I continued northbound, leveled off at 3000 ft MSL, looking for traffic. The tower called my traffic 12 O'clock position, 3 mi, 2600 ft, but I couldn't see him. I told the tower I would alter course to the northwest and turned in that direction. The tower then called my traffic at 12 O'clock, 1 mi, 2600 ft. I still did not see the other aircraft. Shortly thereafter, the other pilot, who had until then also reported negative contact with me, reported that he had passed under me with 200 ft (or maybe 100 ft, I'm not sure I remember correctly) separation. The tower declared my traffic no factor and I continued with my flight. I made a number of errors. I was distraction by my first flight with my father and by the sparkplug fouling I had just dealt with. Although I altered course, I was too fixed on my northerly direction to alter course sufficiently or to initiate a climb. I assumed the other pilot would proceed due south and descend to the pattern, when I should have known he would head southwest to join the pattern for runway 6 and delay descent while over the city. When I didn't see him at 3 mi I should have climbed and turned right.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VERY LOW TIME C172 PLT DEPARTED THE ARB ARPT TFC AREA IMPROPERLY, THEN FAILED TO EXERCISE PROPER SEE AND AVOID TACTICS, WHICH CAUSED AN NMAC.

Narrative: I WAS TAKING MY FATHER FOR HIS FIRST RIDE SINCE BECOMING A PLT. ON MY FIRST DEP I BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE ENG WAS NOT PRODUCING FULL PWR, SO I RETURNED FOR LNDG. AFTER A FULL PWR RUN-UP TO CLR FOULED PLUGS AND 1 TRIP AROUND THE PATTERN TO CONFIRM THE SOLUTION, I DEPARTED NBOUND FROM RWY 6 FOR SIGHTSEEING. SHORTLY AFTER DEP, I HEARD ANOTHER PLANE CALL THE TWR INBOUND FOR LNDG FROM THE N. I CONTINUED NBOUND, LEVELED OFF AT 3000 FT MSL, LOOKING FOR TFC. THE TWR CALLED MY TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS, 3 MI, 2600 FT, BUT I COULDN'T SEE HIM. I TOLD THE TWR I WOULD ALTER COURSE TO THE NW AND TURNED IN THAT DIRECTION. THE TWR THEN CALLED MY TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK, 1 MI, 2600 FT. I STILL DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE OTHER PLT, WHO HAD UNTIL THEN ALSO RPTED NEGATIVE CONTACT WITH ME, RPTED THAT HE HAD PASSED UNDER ME WITH 200 FT (OR MAYBE 100 FT, I'M NOT SURE I REMEMBER CORRECTLY) SEPARATION. THE TWR DECLARED MY TFC NO FACTOR AND I CONTINUED WITH MY FLT. I MADE A NUMBER OF ERRORS. I WAS DISTR BY MY FIRST FLT WITH MY FATHER AND BY THE SPARKPLUG FOULING I HAD JUST DEALT WITH. ALTHOUGH I ALTERED COURSE, I WAS TOO FIXED ON MY NORTHERLY DIRECTION TO ALTER COURSE SUFFICIENTLY OR TO INITIATE A CLB. I ASSUMED THE OTHER PLT WOULD PROCEED DUE S AND DSND TO THE PATTERN, WHEN I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN HE WOULD HEAD SW TO JOIN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 6 AND DELAY DSCNT WHILE OVER THE CITY. WHEN I DIDN'T SEE HIM AT 3 MI I SHOULD HAVE CLBED AND TURNED R.

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.