Narrative:

Student pilot requested clearance for takeoff on runway 21 and departure to the northeast practice area at 3000'. Controller spoke very quickly when issuing the clearance because was busy with an aircraft that had blown a tire on landing a few moments earlier. Pilot thought that he heard the controller request a right downwind which seemed unusual because it would involve crossing the final approach path to runway 21 when departing to the northeast. Pilot read back 'cleared for takeoff, right downwind, small aircraft X' to insure that this was correct. Controller did not respond so the pilot proceeded with the takeoff and right downwind. Pilot did not however, cross final approach path until at cruising altitude of 3000' (pattern altitude at cho is 1700') and 3 mi north of field. A few moments after turning to the northeast, pilot heard a commuter aircraft, an small transport, call in north of the field at 4500' for landing. Controller issued a clearance for a straight-in approach to runway 21 and did not call out any traffic to the small transport. Pilot began looking for the small transport and saw it approximately 1 minute before the closest point of approach. The small transport appeared at 11 O'clock at a higher altitude but descending. Pilot turned right to increase the distance between aircraft. The small transport pilot apparently saw the aircraft approximately 30 seconds later and also turned right for avoidance. The two aircraft passed through the same altitude with what appeared to be more than 500' horizontal separation. Small transport pilot asked the controller if had traffic northeast of the field and controller said yes, but did not think a conflict was possible. Small transport pilot thought minimum horizontal distance between the aircraft was less than 500' and filed a near miss report with the airport atm. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that after this event the tapes from the tower were listened to as the FAA had asked for his license number and were checking into the incident. It turns out that the ATC tower local controller had given a left downwind departure with a 'right turn'. Reporter mentioned some form of action against the controller by the agency. Student pilot thinks that this was first assignment for controller. Controller was distraction by making a phone call re the aircraft with a minor problem and issued the wrong instructions and did not listen for the readback of clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN DEP ACFT AND ARR ACFT IN ATA.

Narrative: STUDENT PLT REQUESTED CLRNC FOR TKOF ON RWY 21 AND DEP TO THE NE PRACTICE AREA AT 3000'. CTLR SPOKE VERY QUICKLY WHEN ISSUING THE CLRNC BECAUSE WAS BUSY WITH AN ACFT THAT HAD BLOWN A TIRE ON LNDG A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER. PLT THOUGHT THAT HE HEARD THE CTLR REQUEST A RIGHT DOWNWIND WHICH SEEMED UNUSUAL BECAUSE IT WOULD INVOLVE XING THE FINAL APCH PATH TO RWY 21 WHEN DEPARTING TO THE NE. PLT READ BACK 'CLRED FOR TKOF, RIGHT DOWNWIND, SMA X' TO INSURE THAT THIS WAS CORRECT. CTLR DID NOT RESPOND SO THE PLT PROCEEDED WITH THE TKOF AND RIGHT DOWNWIND. PLT DID NOT HOWEVER, CROSS FINAL APCH PATH UNTIL AT CRUISING ALT OF 3000' (PATTERN ALT AT CHO IS 1700') AND 3 MI N OF FIELD. A FEW MOMENTS AFTER TURNING TO THE NE, PLT HEARD A COMMUTER ACFT, AN SMT, CALL IN N OF THE FIELD AT 4500' FOR LNDG. CTLR ISSUED A CLRNC FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 21 AND DID NOT CALL OUT ANY TFC TO THE SMT. PLT BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE SMT AND SAW IT APPROX 1 MINUTE BEFORE THE CLOSEST POINT OF APCH. THE SMT APPEARED AT 11 O'CLOCK AT A HIGHER ALT BUT DSNDING. PLT TURNED RIGHT TO INCREASE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ACFT. THE SMT PLT APPARENTLY SAW THE ACFT APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER AND ALSO TURNED RIGHT FOR AVOIDANCE. THE TWO ACFT PASSED THROUGH THE SAME ALT WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE MORE THAN 500' HORIZONTAL SEPARATION. SMT PLT ASKED THE CTLR IF HAD TFC NE OF THE FIELD AND CTLR SAID YES, BUT DID NOT THINK A CONFLICT WAS POSSIBLE. SMT PLT THOUGHT MINIMUM HORIZONTAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ACFT WAS LESS THAN 500' AND FILED A NEAR MISS REPORT WITH THE ARPT ATM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATED THAT AFTER THIS EVENT THE TAPES FROM THE TWR WERE LISTENED TO AS THE FAA HAD ASKED FOR HIS LICENSE NUMBER AND WERE CHECKING INTO THE INCIDENT. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE ATC TWR LCL CTLR HAD GIVEN A LEFT DOWNWIND DEP WITH A 'RIGHT TURN'. REPORTER MENTIONED SOME FORM OF ACTION AGAINST THE CTLR BY THE AGENCY. STUDENT PLT THINKS THAT THIS WAS FIRST ASSIGNMENT FOR CTLR. CTLR WAS DISTR BY MAKING A PHONE CALL RE THE ACFT WITH A MINOR PROBLEM AND ISSUED THE WRONG INSTRUCTIONS AND DID NOT LISTEN FOR THE READBACK OF CLRNC.

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.