NMAC ACR-SMT GA-SMA.

Narrative

RWY 17 AT MYRTLE BEACH AFB IS ORIENTED AT APPROX A 60 DEG ANGLE TO THE BEACH AT MYRTLE BEACH; SC. THE DEP END OF RWY 17 IS LOCATED APPROX 1 MI FROM THE BEACH. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS; BANNER TOW ACFT ARE CONSTANTLY FLYING UP AND DOWN THE COAST AT ABOUT 500' AGL. AFTER DEPARTING RWY 17 AT MYR; WE INITIATED A CLB ON OUR ASSIGNED RWY HDG. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AT BEST RATE OF CLB AIRSPEED IN ORDER TO CLB ABOVE ANY BANNER TOW ACFT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS RESULTED IN A RELATIVELY HIGH ACFT PITCH ALT; MAKING VIS DIRECTLY OVER THE NOSE POOR. WHEN CLIMBING THROUGH APPROX 300-400' AGL; THE TWR CALLED TFC FOR US AT 10-11 O'CLOCK; MOVING LEFT TO RIGHT. THE TWR ALSO INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT DEP DURING THIS SAME XMISSION. THE CAPT OBSERVED A BANNER TOW ACFT TO OUR LEFT AND INFORMED ME THAT WE WOULD PASS WELL CLR. HE THEN TURNED HIS ATTN INSIDE THE COCKPIT IN ORDER TO TUNE IN THE DEP CTL FREQ. AS THE CAPT CALLED DEP; HE AGAIN LOOKED OUT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ACFT. THIS ENTIRE PROCESS TOOK SEVERAL SECS BECAUSE THE CAPT WAS ALSO BUSY DOING SEVERAL AFTER TKOF CHKLIST ITEMS. ABOUT THE TIME THE CAPT CALLED DEP CTL; I OBSERVED AN SMA PASS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE NOSE; LEFT TO RIGHT. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO THE HIGH PITCH ALT. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR EVASIVE ACTION; AND WE PASSED ABOUT 100' BELOW AND 200' NE OF THE SMA. THE CAPT DID NOT SEE THE ACFT UNTIL I POINTED IT OUT TO HIM AFTER WE HAD PASSED. AT THIS TIME; DEP CTL INFORMED US THAT WE HAD TFC AT 3 O'CLOCK; 1500'; SWBND AND THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT! THIS NEAR COLLISION OCCURRED WELL INSIDE THE ATA. THE TWR ESSENTIALLY LAUNCHED US DIRECTLY AT THIS ACFT W/O EVEN MENTIONING ITS EXISTENCE. THE CAPT THEN MISTOOK ANOTHER ACFT FOR THE DESCRIBED TFC; AND ALLOWED HIMSELF TO FIXATE INSIDE THE COCKPIT DURING THE AFTER TKOF CHKS. THE HIGH PITCH ALT AT WHICH I WAS FLYING THE ACFT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE SMA UNTIL WE WERE UPON IT. THIS INCIDENT EMPHASIZED ONCE AGAIN THAT PLTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE WHILE IN VMC CONDITIONS.