SMA PLT ON CLBOUT HAS AN NMAC AND BECOMES DISORIENTED. HE MAY HAVE ENTERED CLASS C AND CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

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DURING A ROUND ROBIN XCOUNTRY FROM PRC-PSP-HHR-PRC; I WAS INVOLVED IN A NEAR MIDAIR WHICH LED TO DISORIENTATION. I DEPARTED HAWTHORNE; CA; AT APPROX XA00L AND WAS CLRED FOR A DOWNWIND DEP FROM RWY 25. I WAS FOLLOWING ANOTHER ACFT CLRED FOR THE SAME DEP A FEW MINS BEFORE. I HAD SIGHT OF THIS TFC ON UPWIND AND XWIND. ON DOWNWIND I STILL HAD TFC AND WAS CLRED TO CHANGE FREQ. I WAS FLYING A MAGNETIC HDG OF 090 DEGS AND CLBING TO 2000 FT MSL. I WAS PAST COMPTON ARPT WHEN I SAW TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK PASSING TO THE L. I WAS ABOUT TO TURN TO THE R TO STAY WELL CLR AND I SPOTTED ANOTHER ACFT TO MY R ON A COLLISION COURSE AT MY ALT. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED FULL PWR AND PITCHED FOR BEST CLB. I BELIEVE I PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AT 400-500 FT VERT SEPARATION. I HAD PLANNED TO TURN BACK ON COURSE TO AVOID THE SANTA ANA CLASS C. AFTER AVOIDING THE OTHER TFC I BECAME MOMENTARILY DISORIENTED. I HAD THE DME TUNED INTO LAX VOR AND THE VORS DIALED INTO PARADISE VORTAC. THE VORS WERE DISPLAYING CONFLICTING INFO WITH 240 DEG CTRED IN ONE WITH A 'TO' INDICATION IN ONE AND THE OTHER DISPLAYING A 'FROM' WITH APPROX 20 DEG DISCREPANCY. I WAS CERTAIN THE VOR WAS E OF MY POS SO I CONTINUED E AND BEGAN A CLB TO 5500 FT MSL WHILE IN A 360 DEG TURN. DURING THE CLBING TURNS I WAS TRYING TO DETERMINE MY EXACT POS WITH PILOTAGE AND THE LA TERMINAL CHART. I DETERMINED I WAS N OF NZJ AND 2 OR 3 MI W OF PLEASANTS PEAK LANDMARK. I FLEW IN BTWN THAT PEAK AND SANTIAGO PEAK TO MY PLANNED COURSE TO PSP. I AM CONCERNED THAT I MIGHT HAVE PENETRATED; EITHER DURING CRUISE OR CLBING; THE SANTA ANA CLASS C; EL TORO CLASS C AND POSSIBLY THE CLASS D AIRSPACE OF LONG BEACH; FULLERTON OR LOS ALAMITOS AAF. I FEEL THE MAJOR REASON I WAS SO EASILY DISORIENTED WAS POOR PREFLT REVIEW OF PRIOR PLANNING. I HAD JUST LANDED AT HHR APPROX 1 1/2 TO 2 HRS PRIOR TO DEP. I HAD AN OBLIGATION TO RETURN TO PRESCOTT BEFORE XX30 DUE TO THE SCHOOL'S WORKING HRS. I FEEL HAD I TAKEN MORE TIME TO REVIEW MY PLANNED DEP AND HOW TO BEST AVOID THE OTHER AIRSPACE ALONG MY COURSE; I SHOULD HAVE ALSO INCLUDED IN MY PLAN A SERIES OF FREQS TO CALL AND STAY IN CONTACT WITH. I FEEL THAT I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT BY CONTACTING ZLA FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING OR EVEN FILING AND DEPARTING IFR. I SEE NOW THAT FLYING IFR WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA IN SUCH A HIGH TFC AREA. I ALSO WILL NOT HESITATE TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE AND SWALLOW MY PRIDE NEXT TIME -- IF THERE IS A NEXT TIME.