NMAC BTWN 2 GA ACFT WITH HIGH; LOW WING COMBINATION AFFECTING VISUAL CONTACT DURING CLB CRUISE PHASE NEAR PBH; WI.

Narrative

THIS WAS A CLASSIC CASE OF HIGH WING/LOW WING BLIND SPOTS WHICH NEARLY RESULTED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION. I WAS CLBING OUT AFTER TKOF FROM PHILLIPS; WI; ON A N HDG. WHILE SCANNING FOR TFC; I OBSERVED A MOONEY APPEAR IN FRONT OF ME THROUGH THE FRONT WINDOW. THE MOONEY APPEARED TO BE IN CRUISE FLT ON A NW HDG. HE WAS HIDDEN BY MY R WING UNTIL HE APPEARED IN MY WINDSHIELD. SINCE THE MOONEY APPEARED TO BE ABOVE ME (BY A SMALL DISTANCE); I STOPPED MY CLB BY APPLYING FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE YOKE. THE MOONEY WAS CLOSE ENOUGH THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO READ HIS N-NUMBER HAD I BEEN SO INCLINED. HOWEVER; MY FIRST INSTINCT WAS TO INITIATE AN AVOIDANCE MANEUVER. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT SPD DIFFERENTIAL. MY AIRSPD WAS ABOUT 80 KTS IN CLB WHILE THE MOONEY WAS PROBABLY CRUISING AROUND 15000 FT. SINCE THE MOONEY WAS AT 4000 FT MSL; I WOULD SPECULATE HE WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE MOONEY WAS ABOVE ME AND HIDDEN BY MY R WING. I WAS BELOW THE MOONEY AND MAY HAVE BEEN HIDDEN UNDER HIS L WING. THE MOONEY APCHED FROM MY R REAR. ABOUT THE ONLY WAY I MIGHT HAVE SEEN THE MOONEY SOONER WOULD HAVE BEEN IF I HAD RAISED THE R WING SIGNIFICANTLY TO CHK FOR TFC WITHIN 15-30 SECONDS PRIOR TO THE NMAC.