NMAC.

Narrative

ON DEC/SAT/95; I WAS DEPARTING AN UNCTLED ARPT LOCATED NW OF SANTA BARBARA; THAT ARPT BEING SANTA-YNEZ; CA. ON THE APPROPRIATE FREQ; I RPTED THAT I WAS DEPARTING THE ACTIVE RWY 26; AND THEN I FLEW THE ADJUSTED XWIND LEG RECOMMENDED FOR NOISE ABATEMENT. AT THIS POINT; MY PAX ADVISED ME THAT SHE HOPED TO VIEW A HOUSE IN SANTA-YNEZ. I CLBED UNTIL I HAD REACHED PATTERN ALT; 1700 FT MSL; LEVELED OFF; AND THEN ENTERED A VERY GRADUAL TURN TO THE R; CLRING THE AIRSPACE IN THAT DIRECTION. BY DOING THIS WE PASSED OVER THE HOUSE AND ROLLED OUT ON A HEADING OF 080 DEGS; NOW N OF THE AIRFIELD AND BASICALLY ON A R DOWNWIND FROM THE RWY I HAD DEPARTED. THIS WOULD BE MY ON-COURSE HEADING FOR MY DEST OF ORANGE COUNTY. MY WX BRIEFING HAD FORECAST MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB AT THE LOWER ALTS NEAR THE MOUNTAINS; WHICH WE WERE ALREADY ENCOUNTERING; AND SO UPON ROLLING WINGS LEVEL; I PITCHED FOR VY; OUR BEST RATE OF CLB; WHICH RESULTS IN A FAIRLY HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE. I PLANNED TO PERIODICALLY LOWER THE NOSE TO SCAN FOR TFC; BUT NEVER HAD THE CHANCE; FOR WHILE 300 FT LATER; WHILE LEAVING 2000 FT MSL; I CAME CLOSE TO COLLIDING WITH A TOW-PLANE AND GLIDER IN TOW. MY FIRST REACTION WAS THAT OF SURPRISE; FOR I HAD ONLY 1 SECOND TO RAISE OUR NOSE EVEN HIGHER BEFORE THESE ACFT PASSED SLIGHTLY BELOW AND AHEAD OF US. NEVER HAD I COME SO CLOSE TO ANOTHER OBJECT IN FLT. MY SECOND REACTION WAS TO TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED! MY GUESS WAS THAT THE TOW-PLANE HAD DEPARTED SHORTLY AFTER ME; AND HAD MADE A CLBING L 270 DEGS; AS PICTURED IN MY DIAGRAM; ALTHOUGH I HAD NOT OBSERVED A SINGLE RADIO CALL FROM THIS OTHER ACFT. DUE TO OUR CONFIGN; A LOW-WING ACFT CONVERGING ABOVE A HIGH-WING ACFT (THE WORST SCENARIO); I WAS ONLY ABLE TO DETECT THIS ACFT 1 SECOND BEFORE THIS OCCURRENCE; AND HE MAY HAVE NOT SEEN ME AT ALL! DISTURBING AS IT WAS; I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM WHAT HAPPENED; AND AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR; PLAN TO SHARE THIS WITH OTHERS. I PLAN TO EMPHASIZE TO OTHERS OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE; ESPECIALLY IN A NON-RADAR ENVIRONMENT; AS THE ONE I WAS OPERATING IN; AS WELL AS PROPER WAYS TO CLR AIRSPACE AROUND AN ACFT. EQUALLY IMPORTANT; I WILL STRESS NEVER TO ASSUME THAT YOU ARE NOT ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH ANOTHER ACFT; EVEN IF THE RADIO IS SILENT FOR MINS. AND I WILL REVIEW WITH THEM HOW LOW-WING; PAIRED WITH HIGH-WING ACFT SHARE A VERY DANGEROUS BLIND SPOT. I WAS FORTUNATE TO MEET THE EDITOR OF MAGAZINE LAST MONTH; AND PLAN TO CONTACT HER IN REGARDS TO WRITING AN ARTICLE ON THIS SUBJECT! LASTLY; NASA'S ASRS IS NEW TO ME; YET I FIND IT VERY USEFUL TO THE AVIATION INDUSTRY; AND WILL RELAY WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THIS PROGRAM TO OTHER PLTS AS NECESSARY.