Narrative:

I was with a student flying cessna 152 off of runway 25L. We were tracking the la river south. Just north of where the river ends into the harbor area, we had what I consider a near miss of less than 150 ft. My student had executed a right climbing clearing turn to the west, and then had just rolled out of left climbing turn back to the south. Immediately upon rollout, a v-tailed bonanza 'jetted' by from our left rear and flew directly across our flight path in a climb. This aircraft then proceeded west and began a descending left turn south towards the western end of the harbor towards the breakwater. Needless to say, both my student and myself were stunned as to the close call. Prior to this incident, lgb tower had issued a frequency change. However, because we were still within lgb delta airspace, I remained on tower frequency. We were approximately 1900-2200 ft in altitude when all this occurred. I then called the tower and asked what runway the bonanza had departed, as this aircraft was within lgb delta airspace too. Altitude first the controller said it had departed runway 25R, and then he said that wasn't true, the controller for that runway had departed a cessna 172 sbound along the river. I said I wondered, because 'you guys are pretty good at letting those aircraft know we were in front of them.' I did relate several times that our encounter was a close one. They said they had not been in contact with any bonanza at that time. The controller did inform me there were numerous targets in the vicinity south of our position at that time. The whole encounter seemed to be one of the typical high wing, low wing type. Am not certain that the bonanza pilot saw us, and this pilot definitely avoided contacting lgb tower for transition, due to his position and altitude. Would love to know where he came from, and file a near miss report. The bonanza pilot passed us, the slower aircraft, on the improper side, and was too close as to create a hazard. Since I filed this report with lgb tower, I learned I should have immediately contacted the local ATC, socal approach, and they could have tracked this individual. This is the first time I have ever filed a near mid-air collision report, and I have learned a lot. My student and I really didn't have sufficient time to take corrective action for avoidance due to the position of the other aircraft when first seen. Too close, too quick. I still don't understand why the tower didn't have this target on their radar scope. The FAA checked both tower radar and approach radar to no avail. Perhaps the tower should advise the departing aircraft every time they release an aircraft early (change of frequency) while still in the delta airspace of any conflicting traffic, whether or not they are in radio contact with that other aircraft. Usually, my tower controllers are compliant with this suggestion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR C152 DEPARTING LGB EXPERIENCES NMAC WITH BE35.

Narrative: I WAS WITH A STUDENT FLYING CESSNA 152 OFF OF RWY 25L. WE WERE TRACKING THE LA RIVER S. JUST N OF WHERE THE RIVER ENDS INTO THE HARBOR AREA, WE HAD WHAT I CONSIDER A NEAR MISS OF LESS THAN 150 FT. MY STUDENT HAD EXECUTED A R CLBING CLRING TURN TO THE W, AND THEN HAD JUST ROLLED OUT OF L CLBING TURN BACK TO THE S. IMMEDIATELY UPON ROLLOUT, A V-TAILED BONANZA 'JETTED' BY FROM OUR L REAR AND FLEW DIRECTLY ACROSS OUR FLT PATH IN A CLB. THIS ACFT THEN PROCEEDED W AND BEGAN A DSNDING L TURN S TOWARDS THE WESTERN END OF THE HARBOR TOWARDS THE BREAKWATER. NEEDLESS TO SAY, BOTH MY STUDENT AND MYSELF WERE STUNNED AS TO THE CLOSE CALL. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, LGB TWR HAD ISSUED A FREQ CHANGE. HOWEVER, BECAUSE WE WERE STILL WITHIN LGB DELTA AIRSPACE, I REMAINED ON TWR FREQ. WE WERE APPROX 1900-2200 FT IN ALT WHEN ALL THIS OCCURRED. I THEN CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED WHAT RWY THE BONANZA HAD DEPARTED, AS THIS ACFT WAS WITHIN LGB DELTA AIRSPACE TOO. ALT FIRST THE CTLR SAID IT HAD DEPARTED RWY 25R, AND THEN HE SAID THAT WASN'T TRUE, THE CTLR FOR THAT RWY HAD DEPARTED A CESSNA 172 SBOUND ALONG THE RIVER. I SAID I WONDERED, BECAUSE 'YOU GUYS ARE PRETTY GOOD AT LETTING THOSE ACFT KNOW WE WERE IN FRONT OF THEM.' I DID RELATE SEVERAL TIMES THAT OUR ENCOUNTER WAS A CLOSE ONE. THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ANY BONANZA AT THAT TIME. THE CTLR DID INFORM ME THERE WERE NUMEROUS TARGETS IN THE VICINITY S OF OUR POS AT THAT TIME. THE WHOLE ENCOUNTER SEEMED TO BE ONE OF THE TYPICAL HIGH WING, LOW WING TYPE. AM NOT CERTAIN THAT THE BONANZA PLT SAW US, AND THIS PLT DEFINITELY AVOIDED CONTACTING LGB TWR FOR TRANSITION, DUE TO HIS POS AND ALT. WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHERE HE CAME FROM, AND FILE A NEAR MISS RPT. THE BONANZA PLT PASSED US, THE SLOWER ACFT, ON THE IMPROPER SIDE, AND WAS TOO CLOSE AS TO CREATE A HAZARD. SINCE I FILED THIS RPT WITH LGB TWR, I LEARNED I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE LCL ATC, SOCAL APCH, AND THEY COULD HAVE TRACKED THIS INDIVIDUAL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER FILED A NEAR MID-AIR COLLISION RPT, AND I HAVE LEARNED A LOT. MY STUDENT AND I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR AVOIDANCE DUE TO THE POS OF THE OTHER ACFT WHEN FIRST SEEN. TOO CLOSE, TOO QUICK. I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE TWR DIDN'T HAVE THIS TARGET ON THEIR RADAR SCOPE. THE FAA CHKED BOTH TWR RADAR AND APCH RADAR TO NO AVAIL. PERHAPS THE TWR SHOULD ADVISE THE DEPARTING ACFT EVERY TIME THEY RELEASE AN ACFT EARLY (CHANGE OF FREQ) WHILE STILL IN THE DELTA AIRSPACE OF ANY CONFLICTING TFC, WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THAT OTHER ACFT. USUALLY, MY TWR CTLRS ARE COMPLIANT WITH THIS SUGGESTION.

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.