Narrative:

Runway 17 at myrtle beach AFB is oriented at approximately a 60 degree angle to the beach at myrtle beach, sc. The departure end of runway 17 is located approximately 1 mi from the beach. During the summer months, banner tow aircraft are constantly flying up and down the coast at about 500' AGL. After departing runway 17 at myr, we initiated a climb on our assigned runway heading. I was flying the aircraft at best rate of climb airspeed in order to climb above any banner tow aircraft as soon as possible. This resulted in a relatively high aircraft pitch altitude, making visibility directly over the nose poor. When climbing through approximately 300-400' AGL, the tower called traffic for us at 10-11 O'clock, moving left to right. The tower also instructed us to contact departure during this same transmission. The captain observed a banner tow aircraft to our left and informed me that we would pass well clear. He then turned his attention inside the cockpit in order to tune in the departure control frequency. As the captain called departure, he again looked out the left side of the aircraft. This entire process took several seconds because the captain was also busy doing several after takeoff checklist items. About the time the captain called departure control, I observed an small aircraft pass directly in front of the nose, left to right. It was difficult to see due to the high pitch altitude. There was no time for evasive action, and we passed about 100' below and 200' northeast of the small aircraft. The captain did not see the aircraft until I pointed it out to him after we had passed. At this time, departure control informed us that we had traffic at 3 O'clock, 1500', swbnd and that he had us in sight! This near collision occurred well inside the air traffic area. The tower essentially launched us directly at this aircraft west/O even mentioning its existence. The captain then mistook another aircraft for the described traffic, and allowed himself to fixate inside the cockpit during the after takeoff checks. The high pitch altitude at which I was flying the aircraft made it difficult to see the small aircraft until we were upon it. This incident emphasized once again that pilots are responsible for collision avoidance while in VMC conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC ACR-SMT GA-SMA.

Narrative: RWY 17 AT MYRTLE BEACH AFB IS ORIENTED AT APPROX A 60 DEG ANGLE TO THE BEACH AT MYRTLE BEACH, SC. THE DEP END OF RWY 17 IS LOCATED APPROX 1 MI FROM THE BEACH. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, BANNER TOW ACFT ARE CONSTANTLY FLYING UP AND DOWN THE COAST AT ABOUT 500' AGL. AFTER DEPARTING RWY 17 AT MYR, WE INITIATED A CLB ON OUR ASSIGNED RWY HDG. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AT BEST RATE OF CLB AIRSPEED IN ORDER TO CLB ABOVE ANY BANNER TOW ACFT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS RESULTED IN A RELATIVELY HIGH ACFT PITCH ALT, MAKING VIS DIRECTLY OVER THE NOSE POOR. WHEN CLIMBING THROUGH APPROX 300-400' AGL, THE TWR CALLED TFC FOR US AT 10-11 O'CLOCK, MOVING LEFT TO RIGHT. THE TWR ALSO INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT DEP DURING THIS SAME XMISSION. THE CAPT OBSERVED A BANNER TOW ACFT TO OUR LEFT AND INFORMED ME THAT WE WOULD PASS WELL CLR. HE THEN TURNED HIS ATTN INSIDE THE COCKPIT IN ORDER TO TUNE IN THE DEP CTL FREQ. AS THE CAPT CALLED DEP, HE AGAIN LOOKED OUT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ACFT. THIS ENTIRE PROCESS TOOK SEVERAL SECS BECAUSE THE CAPT WAS ALSO BUSY DOING SEVERAL AFTER TKOF CHKLIST ITEMS. ABOUT THE TIME THE CAPT CALLED DEP CTL, I OBSERVED AN SMA PASS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE NOSE, LEFT TO RIGHT. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO THE HIGH PITCH ALT. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR EVASIVE ACTION, AND WE PASSED ABOUT 100' BELOW AND 200' NE OF THE SMA. THE CAPT DID NOT SEE THE ACFT UNTIL I POINTED IT OUT TO HIM AFTER WE HAD PASSED. AT THIS TIME, DEP CTL INFORMED US THAT WE HAD TFC AT 3 O'CLOCK, 1500', SWBND AND THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT! THIS NEAR COLLISION OCCURRED WELL INSIDE THE ATA. THE TWR ESSENTIALLY LAUNCHED US DIRECTLY AT THIS ACFT W/O EVEN MENTIONING ITS EXISTENCE. THE CAPT THEN MISTOOK ANOTHER ACFT FOR THE DESCRIBED TFC, AND ALLOWED HIMSELF TO FIXATE INSIDE THE COCKPIT DURING THE AFTER TKOF CHKS. THE HIGH PITCH ALT AT WHICH I WAS FLYING THE ACFT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE SMA UNTIL WE WERE UPON IT. THIS INCIDENT EMPHASIZED ONCE AGAIN THAT PLTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE WHILE IN VMC CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.