Narrative:

I was given takeoff clearance from runway 20 at phf. My clearance was as follows: air carrier X; cleared for takeoff runway 20; climb to 2000 ft; heading 250 degrees. I executed the takeoff and climbed on a 250 degree heading. This heading put the setting sun just above the nose of the aircraft and just to the left of the center of the pilot's windshield (my forward visibility was extremely limited). Upon reaching approximately 1800 ft MSL; the sun got blocked out by a single engine cessna which had been approaching head-on from an apparent descent going towards phf. It was already initiating an evasive maneuver; a climb to its left. I realized that the cessna was clear of my flight path and I did not alter my course for fear that any erratic maneuver on my part may have matched that of the cessna's and we may have collided. No radio calls were ever made about this situation that I heard. After leveling off at 2000 ft and a prolonged delay for a frequency swap; I asked phf tower for a frequency change to norfolk approach. There was no response to this call. It was very clear that phf control tower did not have its airspace under control. They were ignoring the aircraft departing phf concerning their position; conflicting traffic; and radio calls. This was definitely true for my case; and seemingly so for other departing aircraft. The overall unprofessionalism and lack of command over its airspace on the part of phf's control tower was the major contributing cause to this near midair collision. I determined that the safest thing to do was to switch over to norfolk approach control without the permission from phf control tower; and the flight continued without incident. To prevent future occurrences; I will not accept a climb out clearance in VFR conditions into the sunset; or sunrise from a controller without radar coverage over their airspace. I suggest that other pilots do the same.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT RPTS TWR'S LACK OF CTL OVER THEIR AIRSPACE WAS THE CAUSE OF A CONFLICT WITH AN INBOUND CESSNA.

Narrative: I WAS GIVEN TKOF CLRNC FROM RWY 20 AT PHF. MY CLRNC WAS AS FOLLOWS: ACR X; CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 20; CLB TO 2000 FT; HDG 250 DEGS. I EXECUTED THE TKOF AND CLBED ON A 250 DEG HDG. THIS HDG PUT THE SETTING SUN JUST ABOVE THE NOSE OF THE ACFT AND JUST TO THE L OF THE CTR OF THE PLT'S WINDSHIELD (MY FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS EXTREMELY LIMITED). UPON REACHING APPROX 1800 FT MSL; THE SUN GOT BLOCKED OUT BY A SINGLE ENG CESSNA WHICH HAD BEEN APCHING HEAD-ON FROM AN APPARENT DSCNT GOING TOWARDS PHF. IT WAS ALREADY INITIATING AN EVASIVE MANEUVER; A CLB TO ITS L. I REALIZED THAT THE CESSNA WAS CLR OF MY FLT PATH AND I DID NOT ALTER MY COURSE FOR FEAR THAT ANY ERRATIC MANEUVER ON MY PART MAY HAVE MATCHED THAT OF THE CESSNA'S AND WE MAY HAVE COLLIDED. NO RADIO CALLS WERE EVER MADE ABOUT THIS SITUATION THAT I HEARD. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 2000 FT AND A PROLONGED DELAY FOR A FREQ SWAP; I ASKED PHF TWR FOR A FREQ CHANGE TO NORFOLK APCH. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO THIS CALL. IT WAS VERY CLR THAT PHF CTL TWR DID NOT HAVE ITS AIRSPACE UNDER CTL. THEY WERE IGNORING THE ACFT DEPARTING PHF CONCERNING THEIR POS; CONFLICTING TFC; AND RADIO CALLS. THIS WAS DEFINITELY TRUE FOR MY CASE; AND SEEMINGLY SO FOR OTHER DEPARTING ACFT. THE OVERALL UNPROFESSIONALISM AND LACK OF COMMAND OVER ITS AIRSPACE ON THE PART OF PHF'S CTL TWR WAS THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING CAUSE TO THIS NMAC. I DETERMINED THAT THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS TO SWITCH OVER TO NORFOLK APCH CTL WITHOUT THE PERMISSION FROM PHF CTL TWR; AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES; I WILL NOT ACCEPT A CLBOUT CLRNC IN VFR CONDITIONS INTO THE SUNSET; OR SUNRISE FROM A CTLR WITHOUT RADAR COVERAGE OVER THEIR AIRSPACE. I SUGGEST THAT OTHER PLTS DO THE SAME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.