NMAC BTWN A SEL SMA LOW WING CIRCLING 200 FT ABOVE AN UNCTLED ARPT TFC PATTERN AND A CESSNA 172 PASSING 200 FT BELOW THE RPTR.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING FROM MINERAL WELLS (W OF INCIDENT) TO A LOCATION JUST A FEW MI NE OF PARKER COUNTY ARPT TO VIEW SOME PROPERTY FROM THE AIR. ENRTE; I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN AT PARKER COUNTY; AND WAS SCANNING FOR OTHER TFC. THE SPOT I WANTED TO VIEW WAS ABOUT WHERE AN ACFT WOULD BE TURNING DOWNWIND-BASE; SO I WAS TRYING TO KEEP A GOOD LOOKOUT; AND REMAINED AT 2000 FT MSL (TPA FOR PARKER COUNTY IS 1800 FT MSL). JUST AS I NEARED THE POINT I WANTED TO SEE I SAW A CESSNA (172?) BELOW ME AND ON MY R SIDE TRAVELING N. SOMEHOW I HAD MISSED SEEING THIS ACFT UNTIL THE LAST SECOND; AND FORTUNATELY IT PASSED HARMLESSLY UNDER ME BY ABOUT 200 FT; MAYBE MORE. I INSTINCTIVELY PULLED UP A LITTLE; BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO LATE IF WE HAD BEEN AT THE SAME ALT. I DO NOT KNOW IF HE/SHE SAW ME. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE EVASIVE ACTION THERE EITHER; AND NOTHING ON THE RADIO. THEY DID HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY; FOR WHAT THAT'S WORTH. I HAD BEEN ALERT; BUT NOW I AM WIDE AWAKE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CLASSIC CAVU COLLISION; WITH ME IN THE WRECKAGE. I HAVE A FEW THOUGHTS ON THIS ONE: 1) I WILL AVOID HIGH TFC AREAS. IF NEAR AN ARPT; I WILL PROVIDE MORE VERT CLRNC IN THE FUTURE. 2) RIGHT OF WAY IS NOT WORTH MUCH IF THE OTHER PERSON DOESN'T SEE YOU. 3) I'M STILL NOT SURE HOW I MISSED SEEING THIS ONE; PERHAPS A BLIND SPOT WAS CONTRIBUTING. I WAS LOOKING EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS. 4) I'M GLAD I'M HERE TO WRITE THIS RPT. 5) THE NAGGING QUESTION: WOULD I HAVE SEEN IT IF AT MY ALT? PROBABLY I WAS MOSTLY SCANNING THE HORIZON. BUT THE QUESTION STILL NAGS.