VFR C152 DEPARTING LGB EXPERIENCES NMAC WITH BE35.
Synopsis
VFR C152 DEPARTING LGB EXPERIENCES NMAC WITH BE35.
Narrative
I WAS WITH A STUDENT FLYING CESSNA 152 OFF OF RWY 25L. WE WERE TRACKING THE LA RIVER S. JUST N OF WHERE THE RIVER ENDS INTO THE HARBOR AREA; WE HAD WHAT I CONSIDER A NEAR MISS OF LESS THAN 150 FT. MY STUDENT HAD EXECUTED A R CLBING CLRING TURN TO THE W; AND THEN HAD JUST ROLLED OUT OF L CLBING TURN BACK TO THE S. IMMEDIATELY UPON ROLLOUT; A V-TAILED BONANZA 'JETTED' BY FROM OUR L REAR AND FLEW DIRECTLY ACROSS OUR FLT PATH IN A CLB. THIS ACFT THEN PROCEEDED W AND BEGAN A DSNDING L TURN S TOWARDS THE WESTERN END OF THE HARBOR TOWARDS THE BREAKWATER. NEEDLESS TO SAY; BOTH MY STUDENT AND MYSELF WERE STUNNED AS TO THE CLOSE CALL. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT; LGB TWR HAD ISSUED A FREQ CHANGE. HOWEVER; BECAUSE WE WERE STILL WITHIN LGB DELTA AIRSPACE; I REMAINED ON TWR FREQ. WE WERE APPROX 1900-2200 FT IN ALT WHEN ALL THIS OCCURRED. I THEN CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED WHAT RWY THE BONANZA HAD DEPARTED; AS THIS ACFT WAS WITHIN LGB DELTA AIRSPACE TOO. ALT FIRST THE CTLR SAID IT HAD DEPARTED RWY 25R; AND THEN HE SAID THAT WASN'T TRUE; THE CTLR FOR THAT RWY HAD DEPARTED A CESSNA 172 SBOUND ALONG THE RIVER. I SAID I WONDERED; BECAUSE 'YOU GUYS ARE PRETTY GOOD AT LETTING THOSE ACFT KNOW WE WERE IN FRONT OF THEM.' I DID RELATE SEVERAL TIMES THAT OUR ENCOUNTER WAS A CLOSE ONE. THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ANY BONANZA AT THAT TIME. THE CTLR DID INFORM ME THERE WERE NUMEROUS TARGETS IN THE VICINITY S OF OUR POS AT THAT TIME. THE WHOLE ENCOUNTER SEEMED TO BE ONE OF THE TYPICAL HIGH WING; LOW WING TYPE. AM NOT CERTAIN THAT THE BONANZA PLT SAW US; AND THIS PLT DEFINITELY AVOIDED CONTACTING LGB TWR FOR TRANSITION; DUE TO HIS POS AND ALT. WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHERE HE CAME FROM; AND FILE A NEAR MISS RPT. THE BONANZA PLT PASSED US; THE SLOWER ACFT; ON THE IMPROPER SIDE; AND WAS TOO CLOSE AS TO CREATE A HAZARD. SINCE I FILED THIS RPT WITH LGB TWR; I LEARNED I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE LCL ATC; SOCAL APCH; AND THEY COULD HAVE TRACKED THIS INDIVIDUAL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER FILED A NEAR MID-AIR COLLISION RPT; AND I HAVE LEARNED A LOT. MY STUDENT AND I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR AVOIDANCE DUE TO THE POS OF THE OTHER ACFT WHEN FIRST SEEN. TOO CLOSE; TOO QUICK. I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE TWR DIDN'T HAVE THIS TARGET ON THEIR RADAR SCOPE. THE FAA CHKED BOTH TWR RADAR AND APCH RADAR TO NO AVAIL. PERHAPS THE TWR SHOULD ADVISE THE DEPARTING ACFT EVERY TIME THEY RELEASE AN ACFT EARLY (CHANGE OF FREQ) WHILE STILL IN THE DELTA AIRSPACE OF ANY CONFLICTING TFC; WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THAT OTHER ACFT. USUALLY; MY TWR CTLRS ARE COMPLIANT WITH THIS SUGGESTION.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.