Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 39; Flight Crew Total 382; Flight Crew Type 137
Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Weather; Human Factors
I was conducting a discovery flight a requested flight following on the ground with a departure out to the southeast of the field near City X to fly over the house of the client. I was cleared to takeoff of Runway XX. On the climbout I was not sure if Tower wanted me to make a left or right turn towards the south east so I asked for clarification. He said 'you're going to the east right?' And I repeated stating we were going to the southeast. He replied back with instructions to make a right turn to head that way. Right as I turned onto the downwind; Tower switch me to Approach. I switched frequencies and began explaining something to the student as I started to cruise the plane out at 1;500 MSL. About 15 seconds after I switched frequencies to Approach; I gave them a call to check in telling them the altitude I was at and the direction I was headed; southeast. Immediately after I called in; I saw a King Air to my right that was supposedly on final for XX. They were on a track towards us but were in a climb. I saw they were climbing so I immediately started descending. After that is when Approach called in to tell me about the traffic saying that I was intercepting the final approach course for XX. When I looked at my ground track after the flight; I did drift slightly right when I was on the extended downwind; but I never intercepted the final approach course. I did not receive notice from the Tower about the King Air on final before being switched to Approach and it wasn't until after I checked in with Approach that they gave me the advisory. The King Air's TCAS system showed that we reached within 100 feet of each other but myself and the pilots in the King Air agreed that it was much more that 100 feet. I overall feel like there was a lack of communication from all parts that could have possibly prevented this occurrence. I personally could have been more specific with tower on where I was going. I could have been more watchful of my track to stay clear of final. The winds were from the northwest so that could have been a factor in why I was slightly drifting. That is why it is important to know where your winds are coming from to maintain a constant ground track along the ground and prevent drifting.
GA instructor pilot reported an NMAC during initial climb on a VFR flight.