Narrative:

I departed on a student training flight from spruce creek airport (7fl6) in a pitts special S2B. Spruce creek airport is 6 NM south of dab. I (the instructor) completed the takeoff from runway 5 at 7fl6, turned 180 degrees to depart to the south practice area. At 800 ft MSL, the flight controls were xferred to the private/instrument pilot in the front seat. I tuned dab approach on 125.35 to monitor the frequency. At 8 NM from dab, my student was rapidly climbing toward the 1200 ft MSL floor of class C airspace. I instructed the student not to ascend above 1200 ft MSL (he is very familiar with dab class C airspace), at which point I looked over his shoulder and noted his altimeter in the front at 1050 ft MSL, while mine in the rear cockpit read 1200 ft MSL. I asked the student if he had forgotten to set his altimeter, and told him to descend a bit to remain clear of class C airspace. At 9 NM and 1150 ft MSL on my altimeter, a C150 with turquoise stripes crossed right to left and nearly head-on approximately 50 ft above and 100 ft left. The cessna made an abrupt right turn at the moment I saw it in an apparent attempt to avoid a collision. I made no attempt to maneuver as it was too late. I did not hear the cessna talking to dab on the approach frequency. I thought maybe he should have been as he was heading toward dab. Both of us in the pitts were visually scanning for traffic as there is always a lot of traffic in this area. My student was distraction by me at the time of the near miss when I told him to check his altimeter. The pitts is very blind looking forward due to low seating position and top wing. Since the cessna was slightly above he was behind the top wing for both of us in the pitts. Possible corrective actions: have both pilots in the pitts complete a before takeoff checklist. Don't xfer controls in a critical phase of flight. While taxiing to the runway for departure I noticed my student's altimeter was not set. I intended to tell him to set it during my departure checklist, but failed to tell him. This would have avoided the altitude/altimeter distraction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PITTS S2B INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT AND A C150 HAD AN NMAC IN DAB CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ON A STUDENT TRAINING FLT FROM SPRUCE CREEK ARPT (7FL6) IN A PITTS SPECIAL S2B. SPRUCE CREEK ARPT IS 6 NM S OF DAB. I (THE INSTRUCTOR) COMPLETED THE TKOF FROM RWY 5 AT 7FL6, TURNED 180 DEGS TO DEPART TO THE S PRACTICE AREA. AT 800 FT MSL, THE FLT CTLS WERE XFERRED TO THE PVT/INST PLT IN THE FRONT SEAT. I TUNED DAB APCH ON 125.35 TO MONITOR THE FREQ. AT 8 NM FROM DAB, MY STUDENT WAS RAPIDLY CLBING TOWARD THE 1200 FT MSL FLOOR OF CLASS C AIRSPACE. I INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT NOT TO ASCEND ABOVE 1200 FT MSL (HE IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH DAB CLASS C AIRSPACE), AT WHICH POINT I LOOKED OVER HIS SHOULDER AND NOTED HIS ALTIMETER IN THE FRONT AT 1050 FT MSL, WHILE MINE IN THE REAR COCKPIT READ 1200 FT MSL. I ASKED THE STUDENT IF HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO SET HIS ALTIMETER, AND TOLD HIM TO DSND A BIT TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS C AIRSPACE. AT 9 NM AND 1150 FT MSL ON MY ALTIMETER, A C150 WITH TURQUOISE STRIPES CROSSED R TO L AND NEARLY HEAD-ON APPROX 50 FT ABOVE AND 100 FT L. THE CESSNA MADE AN ABRUPT R TURN AT THE MOMENT I SAW IT IN AN APPARENT ATTEMPT TO AVOID A COLLISION. I MADE NO ATTEMPT TO MANEUVER AS IT WAS TOO LATE. I DID NOT HEAR THE CESSNA TALKING TO DAB ON THE APCH FREQ. I THOUGHT MAYBE HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AS HE WAS HDG TOWARD DAB. BOTH OF US IN THE PITTS WERE VISUALLY SCANNING FOR TFC AS THERE IS ALWAYS A LOT OF TFC IN THIS AREA. MY STUDENT WAS DISTR BY ME AT THE TIME OF THE NEAR MISS WHEN I TOLD HIM TO CHK HIS ALTIMETER. THE PITTS IS VERY BLIND LOOKING FORWARD DUE TO LOW SEATING POS AND TOP WING. SINCE THE CESSNA WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE HE WAS BEHIND THE TOP WING FOR BOTH OF US IN THE PITTS. POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: HAVE BOTH PLTS IN THE PITTS COMPLETE A BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. DON'T XFER CTLS IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. WHILE TAXIING TO THE RWY FOR DEP I NOTICED MY STUDENT'S ALTIMETER WAS NOT SET. I INTENDED TO TELL HIM TO SET IT DURING MY DEP CHKLIST, BUT FAILED TO TELL HIM. THIS WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE ALT/ALTIMETER DISTR.

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.