Narrative:

On takeoff to the southwest and at about 800'-1000' AGL, I spotted another aircraft and made a steep right turn to avoid it. My guess is that we came within 500' of the other aircraft. I know it is very difficult to judge distance to another aircraft at night. I was judging my distance on this aircraft by the fact that his rotating beacon and navigation lights appeared much bigger and brighter than we normally see at night. As soon as I turned right to avoid this aircraft, we spotted another plane at 12 O'clock, moving from right to left at our altitude. I began an immediate steep climb to get over the second aircraft. While I would not class the second incident as a near miss, it was closer that I like at night. The first would certainly have resulted in a collision if we had not taken evasive action. Ironically, when we landed in mem, a passenger came up to the cockpit and asked us if we very often had near misses going in and out of mkl. I thought maybe he had seen the plane we had come so close to, but he told us that earlier in the day he had had the closest call with a midair collision that he had ever had in his life. He said he was taking a chkride for his instrument rating when the incident happened. He said the examiner was still very shaken about it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX COMMUTER LTT GA-SMA IN TRAFFIC PATTERN AT MKL.

Narrative: ON TKOF TO THE SW AND AT ABOUT 800'-1000' AGL, I SPOTTED ANOTHER ACFT AND MADE A STEEP RIGHT TURN TO AVOID IT. MY GUESS IS THAT WE CAME WITHIN 500' OF THE OTHER ACFT. I KNOW IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO JUDGE DISTANCE TO ANOTHER ACFT AT NIGHT. I WAS JUDGING MY DISTANCE ON THIS ACFT BY THE FACT THAT HIS ROTATING BEACON AND NAV LIGHTS APPEARED MUCH BIGGER AND BRIGHTER THAN WE NORMALLY SEE AT NIGHT. AS SOON AS I TURNED RIGHT TO AVOID THIS ACFT, WE SPOTTED ANOTHER PLANE AT 12 O'CLOCK, MOVING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AT OUR ALT. I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE STEEP CLB TO GET OVER THE SECOND ACFT. WHILE I WOULD NOT CLASS THE SECOND INCIDENT AS A NEAR MISS, IT WAS CLOSER THAT I LIKE AT NIGHT. THE FIRST WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE RESULTED IN A COLLISION IF WE HAD NOT TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION. IRONICALLY, WHEN WE LANDED IN MEM, A PAX CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED US IF WE VERY OFTEN HAD NEAR MISSES GOING IN AND OUT OF MKL. I THOUGHT MAYBE HE HAD SEEN THE PLANE WE HAD COME SO CLOSE TO, BUT HE TOLD US THAT EARLIER IN THE DAY HE HAD HAD THE CLOSEST CALL WITH A MIDAIR COLLISION THAT HE HAD EVER HAD IN HIS LIFE. HE SAID HE WAS TAKING A CHKRIDE FOR HIS INSTRUMENT RATING WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. HE SAID THE EXAMINER WAS STILL VERY SHAKEN ABOUT IT.

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.