Narrative:

My flight was a repositioning flight to an airport 10 mi away for planned maintenance. After clearance was obtained, I taxied to the approach end of runway 24. While I was performing my pretkof checks, I monitored the ground frequency. I heard the controller give taxi clearance to gulfstream aircraft to taxi to runway 6 and hold short of taxiway F. I then switched to the tower frequency. Cessna #1, the aircraft involved in the incident announced that it was in the downwind for runway 24. Cessna #2 then announced that it was in the downwind for runway 24. (I recognized both call signs as being from the local college flight school and knew that both planes were C152's.) the tower advised cessna #1 to make a 360 degree turn and the cessna responded to the call. The tower then advised cessna #2 to make a 360 degree turn and that plane responded. The tower then cleared the gulfstream to back taxi for takeoff and then cleared him for takeoff on runway 6. I then called the tower and announced that I was holding short of runway 24, was ready for departure to the southeast and that I had copied the takeoff clearance given to the gulfstream. Tower advised me to continue holding short and I responded. The gulfstream was instructed to contact departure control and responded. The tower then cleared cessna #1 for the option and it responded. Cessna #2 was advised that there would be one departure prior to its landing. Since I would be that departure I prepared for takeoff. As cessna #1 was about to touch down I was given clearance to taxi into position and hold on runway 24 and I responded verbally as I pulled onto the runway. As I rolled toward the centerline I was given my takeoff clearance and I responded verbally at the same time that I was initiating my takeoff roll. I rotated at the usual speed and began a climb at vy with cessna #1 in sight climbing in front of me. Noise abatement rules at ttn require a climb at vy until 1200 ft MSL before beginning crosswind or departure turns. As my climb progressed I began to catch up to cessna #1 and lost sight of it below the front of my plane and I therefore initiated a slight turn to the right and lowered the nose to regain sight of the C152. As I passed approximately 900 ft MSL, the cessna in front of me began a right crosswind turn. Since I was not listening to the tower frequency during my run-up I was not aware of any conversations or instructions that had transpired between the cessnas and the tower controller. Since left hand traffic is standard for ttn I assumed that the cessna would be turning to the left for left traffic. When it became apparent that cessna #1 was turning for right traffic in front of me as I was converging towards it, I took immediate evasive action and turned left crosswind and arrested my climb so as to remain behind and below it since pattern altitude is 1200 ft MSL. As I began my turn to make a radio call stating 'skylane X is turning left crosswind behind the cessna that is turning right crosswind in front of me.' there was no response to my radio call by the cessna nor the tower. As cessna #1 reached its 90 degree crosswind turn and was now at my 1 O'clock position, it suddenly descended and made a radio call stating that an aircraft had just passed very close to it. I then announced that I was that aircraft and that I was maneuvering to maintain separation. There was no response to this radio call either. I then called the tower and received no response for approximately 45-60 seconds. The tower then called me and asked if I had seen the plane in front of me and I informed him that I had that plane in sight and was trying to maintain separation. The tower controller then advised me to call him by telephone after I landed. After arriving at N87, I called by phone and explained to the controller that I had the cessna in sight but since I was climbing so much faster than him, I saw no other safe move to make to maintain separation other than to turn immediate left crosswind. The controller then stated that when he, and the other controller in the tower at the time, heard cessna #1 state that an airplane had just passed close to them, they both looked up (they were not watching either of us climbing) and saw my aircraft behind and clear of the other cessna. The lack of responses to my radio calls makes me wonder if I was experiencing a temporary radio transmission problem since I was able to hear all radio calls made by the controller and the other planes, and I discussed this with the controller. As an assessment of this situation, in the future I may delay my takeoff roll when I know that I am departing behind a slower aircraft even if that causes the plane behind me on final approach to 'go around.' in addition I could have asked the controller what direction cessna #1 was planning to turning to. On most departures the controllers are very good about giving that information as part of the takeoff clearance, ie, 'cleared for the takeoff, the cessna you are following will be making left traffic.' I believe I took the correct evasive action in this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT AT TTN IS CLRED FOR TKOF THEN OVERTAKES AND HAS AN NMAC WITH A C152 THAT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE OPTION.

Narrative: MY FLT WAS A REPOSITIONING FLT TO AN ARPT 10 MI AWAY FOR PLANNED MAINT. AFTER CLRNC WAS OBTAINED, I TAXIED TO THE APCH END OF RWY 24. WHILE I WAS PERFORMING MY PRETKOF CHKS, I MONITORED THE GND FREQ. I HEARD THE CTLR GIVE TAXI CLRNC TO GULFSTREAM ACFT TO TAXI TO RWY 6 AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY F. I THEN SWITCHED TO THE TWR FREQ. CESSNA #1, THE ACFT INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS IN THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24. CESSNA #2 THEN ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS IN THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24. (I RECOGNIZED BOTH CALL SIGNS AS BEING FROM THE LCL COLLEGE FLT SCHOOL AND KNEW THAT BOTH PLANES WERE C152'S.) THE TWR ADVISED CESSNA #1 TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN AND THE CESSNA RESPONDED TO THE CALL. THE TWR THEN ADVISED CESSNA #2 TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN AND THAT PLANE RESPONDED. THE TWR THEN CLRED THE GULFSTREAM TO BACK TAXI FOR TKOF AND THEN CLRED HIM FOR TKOF ON RWY 6. I THEN CALLED THE TWR AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 24, WAS READY FOR DEP TO THE SE AND THAT I HAD COPIED THE TKOF CLRNC GIVEN TO THE GULFSTREAM. TWR ADVISED ME TO CONTINUE HOLDING SHORT AND I RESPONDED. THE GULFSTREAM WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP CTL AND RESPONDED. THE TWR THEN CLRED CESSNA #1 FOR THE OPTION AND IT RESPONDED. CESSNA #2 WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WOULD BE ONE DEP PRIOR TO ITS LNDG. SINCE I WOULD BE THAT DEP I PREPARED FOR TKOF. AS CESSNA #1 WAS ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN I WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 24 AND I RESPONDED VERBALLY AS I PULLED ONTO THE RWY. AS I ROLLED TOWARD THE CTRLINE I WAS GIVEN MY TKOF CLRNC AND I RESPONDED VERBALLY AT THE SAME TIME THAT I WAS INITIATING MY TKOF ROLL. I ROTATED AT THE USUAL SPD AND BEGAN A CLB AT VY WITH CESSNA #1 IN SIGHT CLBING IN FRONT OF ME. NOISE ABATEMENT RULES AT TTN REQUIRE A CLB AT VY UNTIL 1200 FT MSL BEFORE BEGINNING XWIND OR DEP TURNS. AS MY CLB PROGRESSED I BEGAN TO CATCH UP TO CESSNA #1 AND LOST SIGHT OF IT BELOW THE FRONT OF MY PLANE AND I THEREFORE INITIATED A SLIGHT TURN TO THE R AND LOWERED THE NOSE TO REGAIN SIGHT OF THE C152. AS I PASSED APPROX 900 FT MSL, THE CESSNA IN FRONT OF ME BEGAN A R XWIND TURN. SINCE I WAS NOT LISTENING TO THE TWR FREQ DURING MY RUN-UP I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY CONVERSATIONS OR INSTRUCTIONS THAT HAD TRANSPIRED BTWN THE CESSNAS AND THE TWR CTLR. SINCE L HAND TFC IS STANDARD FOR TTN I ASSUMED THAT THE CESSNA WOULD BE TURNING TO THE L FOR L TFC. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT CESSNA #1 WAS TURNING FOR R TFC IN FRONT OF ME AS I WAS CONVERGING TOWARDS IT, I TOOK IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION AND TURNED L XWIND AND ARRESTED MY CLB SO AS TO REMAIN BEHIND AND BELOW IT SINCE PATTERN ALT IS 1200 FT MSL. AS I BEGAN MY TURN TO MAKE A RADIO CALL STATING 'SKYLANE X IS TURNING L XWIND BEHIND THE CESSNA THAT IS TURNING R XWIND IN FRONT OF ME.' THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO MY RADIO CALL BY THE CESSNA NOR THE TWR. AS CESSNA #1 REACHED ITS 90 DEG XWIND TURN AND WAS NOW AT MY 1 O'CLOCK POS, IT SUDDENLY DSNDED AND MADE A RADIO CALL STATING THAT AN ACFT HAD JUST PASSED VERY CLOSE TO IT. I THEN ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS THAT ACFT AND THAT I WAS MANEUVERING TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO THIS RADIO CALL EITHER. I THEN CALLED THE TWR AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FOR APPROX 45-60 SECONDS. THE TWR THEN CALLED ME AND ASKED IF I HAD SEEN THE PLANE IN FRONT OF ME AND I INFORMED HIM THAT I HAD THAT PLANE IN SIGHT AND WAS TRYING TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION. THE TWR CTLR THEN ADVISED ME TO CALL HIM BY TELEPHONE AFTER I LANDED. AFTER ARRIVING AT N87, I CALLED BY PHONE AND EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT I HAD THE CESSNA IN SIGHT BUT SINCE I WAS CLBING SO MUCH FASTER THAN HIM, I SAW NO OTHER SAFE MOVE TO MAKE TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION OTHER THAN TO TURN IMMEDIATE L XWIND. THE CTLR THEN STATED THAT WHEN HE, AND THE OTHER CTLR IN THE TWR AT THE TIME, HEARD CESSNA #1 STATE THAT AN AIRPLANE HAD JUST PASSED CLOSE TO THEM, THEY BOTH LOOKED UP (THEY WERE NOT WATCHING EITHER OF US CLBING) AND SAW MY ACFT BEHIND AND CLR OF THE OTHER CESSNA. THE LACK OF RESPONSES TO MY RADIO CALLS MAKES ME WONDER IF I WAS EXPERIENCING A TEMPORARY RADIO XMISSION PROB SINCE I WAS ABLE TO HEAR ALL RADIO CALLS MADE BY THE CTLR AND THE OTHER PLANES, AND I DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE CTLR. AS AN ASSESSMENT OF THIS SIT, IN THE FUTURE I MAY DELAY MY TKOF ROLL WHEN I KNOW THAT I AM DEPARTING BEHIND A SLOWER ACFT EVEN IF THAT CAUSES THE PLANE BEHIND ME ON FINAL APCH TO 'GO AROUND.' IN ADDITION I COULD HAVE ASKED THE CTLR WHAT DIRECTION CESSNA #1 WAS PLANNING TO TURNING TO. ON MOST DEPS THE CTLRS ARE VERY GOOD ABOUT GIVING THAT INFO AS PART OF THE TKOF CLRNC, IE, 'CLRED FOR THE TKOF, THE CESSNA YOU ARE FOLLOWING WILL BE MAKING L TFC.' I BELIEVE I TOOK THE CORRECT EVASIVE ACTION IN THIS SIT.

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.