A PA44 PLT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID OTHER TFC ENTERING THE PATTERN AT A NON STANDARD LOCATION.

Narrative

PA44 WAS CLBING ON THE UPWIND FOR RWY 8R. C177 RPTED R XWIND AND ASKED 'IS ANY OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN?' PA44 RPTED 'UPWIND; CLBING.' C77 AGAIN RPTED 'R XWIND.' PA44 LOWERED CLB ATTITUDE IN ORDER TO SEARCH BETTER FOR OTHER ACFT; AND THENCE THE OCCURRENCE. C177 WAS XING THE PATH OF THE UPWIND PA44. PA44 DISCONTINUED CLB AND MADE A SLIGHT L TURN TO PASS BEHIND AND BENEATH CONFLICTING TFC. RECOMMEND ACTION: TO USE THE PROPER RECOMMENDED TFC PATTERN ENTRY PRESCRIBED BY THE FAA. CAUSE OF INCIDENT: ENTERING TFC PATTERN AT A CONFLICTING POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF; CLBING STRAIGHT OUT TO STAY IN PATTERN; WHEN HE HEARD TFC RPT ON THE XWIND LEG. LOOKING TO HIS L FRONT; THE RPTR EXPECTED TO SEE THE TFC. NOT SEEING THE TFC AT THE RPTED LOCATION; THE RPTR CONTINUED HIS DEP CLB STRAIGHT AHEAD; DELAYING HIS TURN TO THE XWIND LEG WHILE LOOKING FOR THE TFC. AT THIS POINT THE CONFLICT OCCURRED. THE RPTR STATES THE RPTED TFC WAS ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN AT THIS POINT; INSTEAD OF AT THE RWY MIDPOINT. THE RPTR ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED HIS MISUSE OF 'UPWIND' AND 'UPWIND CLB' WHEN REFERRING TO 'DEP' AND 'DEP CLB.'