Narrative:

I had reported '13 mi northwest, inbound with ATIS information' and was given the customary report 3 mi northwest for right downwind runway 28R. It wasn't until about 1/2 way inbound that I first heard tower ask the other aircraft (just departing runway 28R wbound) to recycle their transponder. There was a second call to recycle because the departing aircraft was not repeating or acknowledging any xmissions. I was 3.3 mi northwest when the controller bluntly asked the departing aircraft (who was supposed to be wbound) for their present location. At this time that pilot replied that he was 3 mi northwest. I started to scan the area as I was now descending to pattern altitude but was still at 2200 ft MSL. I instantly spotted the cessna centurion climbing directly toward me. I keyed the microphone, and quickly broadcast 'turn right, turn right' as I banked to my right. The cessna passed to my left going the opposite direction, and it did not bank right until it was almost abreast (roughly at my 10 O'clock position). I assume perhaps that this was when he first saw me. The separation was believed to be 10 ft vertical, and less than 100 ft horizontal. Contributing factors: a busy airport environment, departing aircraft was experiencing an inoperative transponder. This pilot failed to communicate and/or reply to the controller's requests, and was not where he declared he was going. I had immediately reported clear of the traffic. Confirmed my evasive action was to avoid the said cessna centurion who was now nnwbound. Even after this near midair collision, the cessna continued outbound once again without replying to the tower. The tower gave me instruction to 'enter right downwind, and cleared to land runway 28R.' upon clearing the runway, the tower apologized for this mishap. Though it clearly was not the controller's fault. I thanked them for the presence of mind to ask for the other aircraft's present location.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE-33 PLT HAS AN NMAC WITH C210 DEPARTING FCM VFR, BUT NOT FOLLOWING THE ASSIGNED COURSE.

Narrative: I HAD RPTED '13 MI NW, INBOUND WITH ATIS INFO' AND WAS GIVEN THE CUSTOMARY RPT 3 MI NW FOR R DOWNWIND RWY 28R. IT WASN'T UNTIL ABOUT 1/2 WAY INBOUND THAT I FIRST HEARD TWR ASK THE OTHER ACFT (JUST DEPARTING RWY 28R WBOUND) TO RECYCLE THEIR XPONDER. THERE WAS A SECOND CALL TO RECYCLE BECAUSE THE DEPARTING ACFT WAS NOT REPEATING OR ACKNOWLEDGING ANY XMISSIONS. I WAS 3.3 MI NW WHEN THE CTLR BLUNTLY ASKED THE DEPARTING ACFT (WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WBOUND) FOR THEIR PRESENT LOCATION. AT THIS TIME THAT PLT REPLIED THAT HE WAS 3 MI NW. I STARTED TO SCAN THE AREA AS I WAS NOW DSNDING TO PATTERN ALT BUT WAS STILL AT 2200 FT MSL. I INSTANTLY SPOTTED THE CESSNA CENTURION CLBING DIRECTLY TOWARD ME. I KEYED THE MIKE, AND QUICKLY BROADCAST 'TURN R, TURN R' AS I BANKED TO MY R. THE CESSNA PASSED TO MY L GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND IT DID NOT BANK R UNTIL IT WAS ALMOST ABREAST (ROUGHLY AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS). I ASSUME PERHAPS THAT THIS WAS WHEN HE FIRST SAW ME. THE SEPARATION WAS BELIEVED TO BE 10 FT VERT, AND LESS THAN 100 FT HORIZ. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: A BUSY ARPT ENVIRONMENT, DEPARTING ACFT WAS EXPERIENCING AN INOP XPONDER. THIS PLT FAILED TO COMMUNICATE AND/OR REPLY TO THE CTLR'S REQUESTS, AND WAS NOT WHERE HE DECLARED HE WAS GOING. I HAD IMMEDIATELY RPTED CLR OF THE TFC. CONFIRMED MY EVASIVE ACTION WAS TO AVOID THE SAID CESSNA CENTURION WHO WAS NOW NNWBOUND. EVEN AFTER THIS NMAC, THE CESSNA CONTINUED OUTBOUND ONCE AGAIN WITHOUT REPLYING TO THE TWR. THE TWR GAVE ME INSTRUCTION TO 'ENTER R DOWNWIND, AND CLRED TO LAND RWY 28R.' UPON CLRING THE RWY, THE TWR APOLOGIZED FOR THIS MISHAP. THOUGH IT CLRLY WAS NOT THE CTLR'S FAULT. I THANKED THEM FOR THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO ASK FOR THE OTHER ACFT'S PRESENT LOCATION.

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.