Narrative:

Lgb had 3 runways that are usually quite active, 25L, 25R, and runway 30 which is the runway used for jet arrival and departures. I was cleared to takeoff on runway 25L for a short flight through the la VFR corridor up to santa monica, then over to my destination, bur. I asked for a straight out departure and it was approved and there were several other slower aircraft using this runway with some of them staying in the pattern. I became aware that a business jet was waiting to takeoff on runway 30 after my departure on 25L. After I lifted off I heard the tower issue the jet a takeoff clearance. As I was climbing out I decided I wanted to gain more altitude prior to intercepting the radial for the la corridor and asked the tower if I could make a left turn toward the queen mary, which is situated south of the airport in the harbor. The tower approved my crosswind departure and I started the turn. I was still in the air traffic area and getting close to 3000' MSL, which at lgb, is the top of the air traffic area. I was squawking 1200 and my altitude encoder was on. Suddenly, in my windscreen, the entire body of the business jet appeared and I am certain it was not more than 100' from my aircraft. I didn't have time to even react--I was so amazed at how close we were. I had no idea whether the jet pilot saw me. He didn't seem to be making an evasive maneuver, but it was difficult to tell as he appeared to be in a bank and then leveled his wings to proceed on course on a southeasterly heading. I didn't report the incident to the tower or give coast departure a call as it might have been a controller error, as I was where I was supposed to be and squawking a proper code. This jet's 180 degree departure path was much too close to the airport traffic pattern and much too low. Had I continued my straight out departure I don't know whether the conflict would have been better or worse. My left turn might have made it more difficult for the jet to see me as he was approaching me from behind and to the right. In my high wing plane he was not visible ot me prior to making my turn. The turn, quite frankly, might have saved all of our lives although there is no way to confirm this. I'm glad I'm still here to report this incident.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA TOOK OFF WESTERLY AT LGB ARPT AT APPROX 3000' WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN A SMT BUSINESS JET THAT HAD TAKEN OFF NORTH, MAKING A LEFT CLIMBING TURN, OVERTOOK AND PASSED IN CLOSE PROX. NMAC 100'.

Narrative: LGB HAD 3 RWYS THAT ARE USUALLY QUITE ACTIVE, 25L, 25R, AND RWY 30 WHICH IS THE RWY USED FOR JET ARR AND DEPS. I WAS CLRED TO TKOF ON RWY 25L FOR A SHORT FLT THROUGH THE LA VFR CORRIDOR UP TO SANTA MONICA, THEN OVER TO MY DEST, BUR. I ASKED FOR A STRAIGHT OUT DEP AND IT WAS APPROVED AND THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER SLOWER ACFT USING THIS RWY WITH SOME OF THEM STAYING IN THE PATTERN. I BECAME AWARE THAT A BUSINESS JET WAS WAITING TO TKOF ON RWY 30 AFTER MY DEP ON 25L. AFTER I LIFTED OFF I HEARD THE TWR ISSUE THE JET A TKOF CLRNC. AS I WAS CLBING OUT I DECIDED I WANTED TO GAIN MORE ALT PRIOR TO INTERCEPTING THE RADIAL FOR THE LA CORRIDOR AND ASKED THE TWR IF I COULD MAKE A LEFT TURN TOWARD THE QUEEN MARY, WHICH IS SITUATED S OF THE ARPT IN THE HARBOR. THE TWR APPROVED MY XWIND DEP AND I STARTED THE TURN. I WAS STILL IN THE ATA AND GETTING CLOSE TO 3000' MSL, WHICH AT LGB, IS THE TOP OF THE ATA. I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 AND MY ALT ENCODER WAS ON. SUDDENLY, IN MY WINDSCREEN, THE ENTIRE BODY OF THE BUSINESS JET APPEARED AND I AM CERTAIN IT WAS NOT MORE THAN 100' FROM MY ACFT. I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO EVEN REACT--I WAS SO AMAZED AT HOW CLOSE WE WERE. I HAD NO IDEA WHETHER THE JET PLT SAW ME. HE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE MAKING AN EVASIVE MANEUVER, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TELL AS HE APPEARED TO BE IN A BANK AND THEN LEVELED HIS WINGS TO PROCEED ON COURSE ON A SOUTHEASTERLY HDG. I DIDN'T RPT THE INCIDENT TO THE TWR OR GIVE COAST DEP A CALL AS IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A CTLR ERROR, AS I WAS WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AND SQUAWKING A PROPER CODE. THIS JET'S 180 DEG DEP PATH WAS MUCH TOO CLOSE TO THE ARPT TFC PATTERN AND MUCH TOO LOW. HAD I CONTINUED MY STRAIGHT OUT DEP I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE CONFLICT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OR WORSE. MY LEFT TURN MIGHT HAVE MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE JET TO SEE ME AS HE WAS APCHING ME FROM BEHIND AND TO THE RIGHT. IN MY HIGH WING PLANE HE WAS NOT VISIBLE OT ME PRIOR TO MAKING MY TURN. THE TURN, QUITE FRANKLY, MIGHT HAVE SAVED ALL OF OUR LIVES ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO WAY TO CONFIRM THIS. I'M GLAD I'M STILL HERE TO RPT THIS INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.