PLT AND PAX IN A C172 HAVE AN NMAC WITH A PA28 ON TURNING DOWNWIND AT A NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative

PIC WAS AT THE CTLS OF OUR RENTED C172; FLYING FROM THE L SEAT. I WAS SITTING NEXT TO HIM IN THE R FRONT SEAT. IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON AND THE SUN WAS GLARING BRIGHTLY IN THE HAZY WESTERN SKY. WE DEPARTED FROM RWY 25 AT CENTRAL JERSEY REGIONAL (47N) DIRECTLY BEHIND A PIPER CHEROKEE (CALL IT ACFT #1). FLYING UPWIND; WE PROCEEDED STRAIGHT OUT FOR 400 FT AND BEGAN A CLBING L TURN TO JOIN OUR HDG OF 147 DEGS. ACFT #1 CONTINUED OUT FOR ABOUT 1 MI AND TURNED XWIND. WE HEARD AN ACFT CALL 'PIPER ENTERING DOWNWIND FOR RWY 25 AT CENTRAL JERSEY;' AND LOOKED R. AS WE EXPECTED; WE SAW ACFT #1 TURNING FROM XWIND TO DOWNWIND. WE ASSUMED THAT THE RADIO CALL HAD COME FROM THIS PLANE. MOMENTS LATER A SECOND LOW WING ACFT (ACFT #2) PASSED 50 FT OVERHEAD. WE HEARD THE SOUND AND LOOKED L; SEEING HIS TAIL VERY LARGE IN THE PLT SIDE WINDOW. WE DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT LATER AND DECIDED THAT WE HAD MISTAKENLY CREDITED THE RADIO CALL TO ACFT #1; WHEN IT HAD MOST CERTAINLY BEEN MADE BY ACFT #2. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE FLARE AND OUR HIGH WING ACFT'S LIMITED UPWARD VIEW.