Narrative:

Our plane; a club rented C172 departed oceanside airport (okb) en route to ramona (rnm); on the second leg of a recreational efficiency competition flight. There were 2 pilots aboard the plane; I was in the right seat. I had not flown before with the PIC. The PIC; due to noise abatement issues at okb; departed okb; flew out to the ocean; then turned on course (about 100 degrees) to go to ramona. Shortly after turning on course; I noticed palomar (crq) outside to my right and noticed that our altitude was around 2200 ft. I wasn't sure what the ceiling of palomar airspace was (but I was pretty sure it was more than 2200 ft); so I consulted the chart; and found it was 2800 ft. I suggested that we make a small turn to the north until we gained some more altitude so that we would not bust the palomar airspace. The PIC agreed and made about a 20 degree left turn. During this time I was also busy looking up the frequencys for ramona and entering them into the radios. We may have had the oceanside CTAF or the ramona tower active at this point -- I'm not sure. After clearing 2800 ft the PIC made a shallow right turn to go back on course -- perhaps a 20 degree turn. A few seconds later the pilot said 'airplane.' I'm not sure if she pointed; but I immediately saw a plane at 2-3 O'clock position; close (perhaps 1500 ft away) and within a few ft of our altitude. The other airplane was traveling roughly due north while we were traveling on a course of about 100 degrees. As I watched the other plane's relative position moved rapidly from 2:30 to 3; to 4 O'clock position; with the nearest approach being at about our 4:30 O'clock position. As I saw it disappear behind me I think the other plane's pilot began a turn to the west. We did not take any evasive action (although I'm not sure we could have done much -- we were already on a path to pass ahead of the other plane...maybe a sharp climb?). I believe that about 2 seconds elapsed between my seeing the other plane and it passing our tail. Factors: 1) my pilot was trained by a club instructor who I have also had one experience with. The instructor recommends against using strobes during the daytime -- 'to save the equipment' and that 'you can't see them anyhow.' our strobes were not on; contrary to my normal practice. 2) I was heads down checking charts and frequencys. 3) we were not on flight following; but frankly; given the level of traffic in the area if we were trying to use it I may have still been trying to contact with them at this point. 4) the other airplane may have been hidden from the pilot by the glare shield; cowl; or right pillar. 5) I don't know if the pilot did a good look to the right prior to dipping the right wing to make the 20 degree right turn. 6) I have no idea why the northbound pilot did not see and avoid us. Lighting should have been excellent (sun to his back); and we should have been against a background of sky and ocean. Perhaps we were behind his left pillar.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT AND SAFETY PLT ABOARD C172 ON RECREATIONAL COMPETITION FLT ENCOUNTER NEAR MISS NEAR CRQ CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: OUR PLANE; A CLUB RENTED C172 DEPARTED OCEANSIDE ARPT (OKB) ENRTE TO RAMONA (RNM); ON THE SECOND LEG OF A RECREATIONAL EFFICIENCY COMPETITION FLT. THERE WERE 2 PLTS ABOARD THE PLANE; I WAS IN THE R SEAT. I HAD NOT FLOWN BEFORE WITH THE PIC. THE PIC; DUE TO NOISE ABATEMENT ISSUES AT OKB; DEPARTED OKB; FLEW OUT TO THE OCEAN; THEN TURNED ON COURSE (ABOUT 100 DEGS) TO GO TO RAMONA. SHORTLY AFTER TURNING ON COURSE; I NOTICED PALOMAR (CRQ) OUTSIDE TO MY R AND NOTICED THAT OUR ALT WAS AROUND 2200 FT. I WASN'T SURE WHAT THE CEILING OF PALOMAR AIRSPACE WAS (BUT I WAS PRETTY SURE IT WAS MORE THAN 2200 FT); SO I CONSULTED THE CHART; AND FOUND IT WAS 2800 FT. I SUGGESTED THAT WE MAKE A SMALL TURN TO THE N UNTIL WE GAINED SOME MORE ALT SO THAT WE WOULD NOT BUST THE PALOMAR AIRSPACE. THE PIC AGREED AND MADE ABOUT A 20 DEG L TURN. DURING THIS TIME I WAS ALSO BUSY LOOKING UP THE FREQS FOR RAMONA AND ENTERING THEM INTO THE RADIOS. WE MAY HAVE HAD THE OCEANSIDE CTAF OR THE RAMONA TWR ACTIVE AT THIS POINT -- I'M NOT SURE. AFTER CLRING 2800 FT THE PIC MADE A SHALLOW R TURN TO GO BACK ON COURSE -- PERHAPS A 20 DEG TURN. A FEW SECONDS LATER THE PLT SAID 'AIRPLANE.' I'M NOT SURE IF SHE POINTED; BUT I IMMEDIATELY SAW A PLANE AT 2-3 O'CLOCK POS; CLOSE (PERHAPS 1500 FT AWAY) AND WITHIN A FEW FT OF OUR ALT. THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS TRAVELING ROUGHLY DUE N WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING ON A COURSE OF ABOUT 100 DEGS. AS I WATCHED THE OTHER PLANE'S RELATIVE POS MOVED RAPIDLY FROM 2:30 TO 3; TO 4 O'CLOCK POS; WITH THE NEAREST APCH BEING AT ABOUT OUR 4:30 O'CLOCK POS. AS I SAW IT DISAPPEAR BEHIND ME I THINK THE OTHER PLANE'S PLT BEGAN A TURN TO THE W. WE DID NOT TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION (ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SURE WE COULD HAVE DONE MUCH -- WE WERE ALREADY ON A PATH TO PASS AHEAD OF THE OTHER PLANE...MAYBE A SHARP CLB?). I BELIEVE THAT ABOUT 2 SECONDS ELAPSED BTWN MY SEEING THE OTHER PLANE AND IT PASSING OUR TAIL. FACTORS: 1) MY PLT WAS TRAINED BY A CLUB INSTRUCTOR WHO I HAVE ALSO HAD ONE EXPERIENCE WITH. THE INSTRUCTOR RECOMMENDS AGAINST USING STROBES DURING THE DAYTIME -- 'TO SAVE THE EQUIP' AND THAT 'YOU CAN'T SEE THEM ANYHOW.' OUR STROBES WERE NOT ON; CONTRARY TO MY NORMAL PRACTICE. 2) I WAS HEADS DOWN CHKING CHARTS AND FREQS. 3) WE WERE NOT ON FLT FOLLOWING; BUT FRANKLY; GIVEN THE LEVEL OF TFC IN THE AREA IF WE WERE TRYING TO USE IT I MAY HAVE STILL BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT WITH THEM AT THIS POINT. 4) THE OTHER AIRPLANE MAY HAVE BEEN HIDDEN FROM THE PLT BY THE GLARE SHIELD; COWL; OR R PILLAR. 5) I DON'T KNOW IF THE PLT DID A GOOD LOOK TO THE R PRIOR TO DIPPING THE R WING TO MAKE THE 20 DEG R TURN. 6) I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THE NBOUND PLT DID NOT SEE AND AVOID US. LIGHTING SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT (SUN TO HIS BACK); AND WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF SKY AND OCEAN. PERHAPS WE WERE BEHIND HIS L PILLAR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.