Small aircraft made incorrect pattern entry. Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	290634
Time
Date	199412
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n67
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1100 msl bound upper : 1100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cheetah, Tiger, Traveler
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 175
ASRS Report	290634
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 150 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I made an entry to our traffic pattern about 1 mi from threshold into crosswind. Conflict occurred as other aircraft climbed out and I crossed his path. I was a little lower than tpa but the real problem was that I did not enter a crosswind over the field, but rather upwind of it. There seems to be no perfect entry from a crosswind. Over the field requires a very tight turn to downwind and the possibility of conflicting with other aircraft entering on a 45 degree. Away from the field, as I did, allows a better view of downwind but conflicts with departures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MADE INCORRECT PATTERN ENTRY. NMAC.

Narrative: I MADE AN ENTRY TO OUR TFC PATTERN ABOUT 1 MI FROM THRESHOLD INTO XWIND. CONFLICT OCCURRED AS OTHER ACFT CLBED OUT AND I CROSSED HIS PATH. I WAS A LITTLE LOWER THAN TPA BUT THE REAL PROB WAS THAT I DID NOT ENTER A XWIND OVER THE FIELD, BUT RATHER UPWIND OF IT. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO PERFECT ENTRY FROM A XWIND. OVER THE FIELD REQUIRES A VERY TIGHT TURN TO DOWNWIND AND THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFLICTING WITH OTHER ACFT ENTERING ON A 45 DEG. AWAY FROM THE FIELD, AS I DID, ALLOWS A BETTER VIEW OF DOWNWIND BUT CONFLICTS WITH DEPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.