Narrative:

While on the crosswind leg of runway 34L; the paine tower controller advised me of inbound traffic just entering on the downwind of runway 34L. However; by that time I was already well into the crosswind leg and about to turn downwind when the advisory was issued. I immediately reduced my rate of climb by lowering the nose of my aircraft to get a better look at the conflicting traffic. The position of the conflicting aircraft was already past my 12 O'clock position moving towards an 11 O'clock position. I notified the controller that I was taking immediate evasive maneuvers by executing a right 90 degree turn away from the traffic. After the traffic became no factor; I executed a 180 degree left turn back onto the downwind following the traffic. A major contributing factor to this near-miss was that the inbound traffic's initial contact with the tower may have occurred during my takeoff roll. As a result; I did not focus on the call as I was occupied with scanning the engine instrumentation readings and aligning the aircraft with the runway centerline during takeoff. In hindsight; I should have: 1) paid more attention to the inbound traffic's initial radio call to mentally establish his relative position to mine. 2) not turn crosswind until I had established visual contact with the inbound traffic.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 HAS NMAC WITH C172 IN TRAFFIC PATTERN.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE XWIND LEG OF RWY 34L; THE PAINE TWR CTLR ADVISED ME OF INBOUND TFC JUST ENTERING ON THE DOWNWIND OF RWY 34L. HOWEVER; BY THAT TIME I WAS ALREADY WELL INTO THE XWIND LEG AND ABOUT TO TURN DOWNWIND WHEN THE ADVISORY WAS ISSUED. I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED MY RATE OF CLB BY LOWERING THE NOSE OF MY ACFT TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT THE CONFLICTING TFC. THE POS OF THE CONFLICTING ACFT WAS ALREADY PAST MY 12 O'CLOCK POS MOVING TOWARDS AN 11 O'CLOCK POS. I NOTIFIED THE CTLR THAT I WAS TAKING IMMEDIATE EVASIVE MANEUVERS BY EXECUTING A R 90 DEG TURN AWAY FROM THE TFC. AFTER THE TFC BECAME NO FACTOR; I EXECUTED A 180 DEG L TURN BACK ONTO THE DOWNWIND FOLLOWING THE TFC. A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS NEAR-MISS WAS THAT THE INBOUND TFC'S INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE TWR MAY HAVE OCCURRED DURING MY TKOF ROLL. AS A RESULT; I DID NOT FOCUS ON THE CALL AS I WAS OCCUPIED WITH SCANNING THE ENG INSTRUMENTATION READINGS AND ALIGNING THE ACFT WITH THE RWY CTRLINE DURING TKOF. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE: 1) PAID MORE ATTN TO THE INBOUND TFC'S INITIAL RADIO CALL TO MENTALLY ESTABLISH HIS RELATIVE POS TO MINE. 2) NOT TURN XWIND UNTIL I HAD ESTABLISHED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE INBOUND TFC.

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.