Narrative:

I was practicing touch-and-goes at fme. Runway 28 was active. I was monitoring and making position reports on the CTAF, 123.05. I was also monitoring 121.5. On departure, performance was quite good with a 1000+ FPM climb rate. At 800 ft MSL, I began my left turn to crosswind. In the turn, I saw the other airplane pass behind me wbound. It appeared as if the other airplane was overflying the airport at about 1000 ft MSL along the departure path. A few seconds after completing my turn to crosswind, I was passing through his altitude. Published pattern altitude at fme is 1150 ft MSL. I believe we may have collided had I delayed my crosswind turn. Because of the geometry of the situation, I believe it was very difficult or impossible to see each other in this case. From my perspective, I am in a climb and the traffic is approaching from above and behind me. The cabin ceiling prevented me from ever seeing him until after beginning my turn. From the other aircraft's perspective, I would have been in front of and below him. It is quite possible that I was obscured by his engine cowling. Also, because of my high rate of climb and the relative speeds of the 2 aircraft, I believe that I may have stayed obscured by his engine cowling perhaps until we made contact. I think the best way to have avoided this would be if the other aircraft crossed the airport well above traffic pattern altitude. However, I believe contributing factors were the airspace requirements in the area. Overlying the airport at 1500 ft MSL is the baltimore class B airspace. Just a few mi to the north is the baltimore class B surface area and just a few mi to the south is the sfar 94 flight restr zone. This creates a very narrow corridor for a high volume of VFR transit traffic that must remain below 1500 ft MSL. Further traffic conflicts within the corridor may push traffic lower. Finally, another factor was the lack of communications. The other aircraft was flying within the washington ADIZ and was required to be in contact with potomac TRACON. Therefore, he may have been unable to monitor my position reports on CTAF or announce his position and intentions. Additionally, he may have felt a sense of security by being in radar contact. However, with my climb rate, I was able to climb from the runway to his altitude in less than 1 min. This could not have been enough time for me to appear on radar and for the controller to notice the conflict and issue an advisory.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON LEFT CROSSWIND FOR PATTERN WORK AT FME EXPERIENCED CONFLICT WITH OVERFLIGHT TFC AT APPROX 1000 FT. INCIDENT COMPLICATED DUE TO AIRSPACE CONFIGURATION/RESTRICTIONS IN THE DCA AREA.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GOES AT FME. RWY 28 WAS ACTIVE. I WAS MONITORING AND MAKING POS RPTS ON THE CTAF, 123.05. I WAS ALSO MONITORING 121.5. ON DEP, PERFORMANCE WAS QUITE GOOD WITH A 1000+ FPM CLB RATE. AT 800 FT MSL, I BEGAN MY L TURN TO XWIND. IN THE TURN, I SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE PASS BEHIND ME WBOUND. IT APPEARED AS IF THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS OVERFLYING THE ARPT AT ABOUT 1000 FT MSL ALONG THE DEP PATH. A FEW SECONDS AFTER COMPLETING MY TURN TO XWIND, I WAS PASSING THROUGH HIS ALT. PUBLISHED PATTERN ALT AT FME IS 1150 FT MSL. I BELIEVE WE MAY HAVE COLLIDED HAD I DELAYED MY XWIND TURN. BECAUSE OF THE GEOMETRY OF THE SIT, I BELIEVE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE EACH OTHER IN THIS CASE. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I AM IN A CLB AND THE TFC IS APCHING FROM ABOVE AND BEHIND ME. THE CABIN CEILING PREVENTED ME FROM EVER SEEING HIM UNTIL AFTER BEGINNING MY TURN. FROM THE OTHER ACFT'S PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN FRONT OF AND BELOW HIM. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT I WAS OBSCURED BY HIS ENG COWLING. ALSO, BECAUSE OF MY HIGH RATE OF CLB AND THE RELATIVE SPDS OF THE 2 ACFT, I BELIEVE THAT I MAY HAVE STAYED OBSCURED BY HIS ENG COWLING PERHAPS UNTIL WE MADE CONTACT. I THINK THE BEST WAY TO HAVE AVOIDED THIS WOULD BE IF THE OTHER ACFT CROSSED THE ARPT WELL ABOVE TFC PATTERN ALT. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE AIRSPACE REQUIREMENTS IN THE AREA. OVERLYING THE ARPT AT 1500 FT MSL IS THE BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE. JUST A FEW MI TO THE N IS THE BALTIMORE CLASS B SURFACE AREA AND JUST A FEW MI TO THE S IS THE SFAR 94 FLT RESTR ZONE. THIS CREATES A VERY NARROW CORRIDOR FOR A HIGH VOLUME OF VFR TRANSIT TFC THAT MUST REMAIN BELOW 1500 FT MSL. FURTHER TFC CONFLICTS WITHIN THE CORRIDOR MAY PUSH TFC LOWER. FINALLY, ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF COMS. THE OTHER ACFT WAS FLYING WITHIN THE WASHINGTON ADIZ AND WAS REQUIRED TO BE IN CONTACT WITH POTOMAC TRACON. THEREFORE, HE MAY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO MONITOR MY POS RPTS ON CTAF OR ANNOUNCE HIS POS AND INTENTIONS. ADDITIONALLY, HE MAY HAVE FELT A SENSE OF SECURITY BY BEING IN RADAR CONTACT. HOWEVER, WITH MY CLB RATE, I WAS ABLE TO CLB FROM THE RWY TO HIS ALT IN LESS THAN 1 MIN. THIS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO APPEAR ON RADAR AND FOR THE CTLR TO NOTICE THE CONFLICT AND ISSUE AN ADVISORY.

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.