Narrative:

During climb from dca at night, using northwest departure, dca departure control cleared us to 17000'. At approximately 9000' departure control cleared us direct ldn which gave us a heading of 260 degrees. At 11000' they reported traffic at 11 O'clock, 17500'. We observed only 1 aircraft in that area and responded, 'traffic in sight.' the aircraft was at the 10:30 high position, opp direction, approximately 20 mi and would pass clear to the left. Departure then switched us to dulles approach control at approximately 12000' and had us report that we had the traffic. On initial contact, approximately 13000', with dulles approach we reported 'traffic in sight.' dulles approach then cleared us to 'climb to 270 pilot's discretion.' we hesitated a moment before reading back the clearance as we had not heard the term 'pilot's discretion' used before in relation to a climb with visibility traffic. We then read back the clearance but omitted the pilot's discretion in hopes that the controller would clarify the instruction. Instead he acknowledged the readback and immediately started talking to another aircraft. At this same time the autoplt/FMS leveled the aircraft off at 17000'. We then reprogrammed the altitude select and engaged the VNAV to start the climb. We were well clear and maintaining visibility sep from the traffic and did not see any other aircraft ahead. The autoplt/FMS was slow to leave 17000' as it performed a transition to climb. During this transition we spotted a second aircraft at 11:30 slightly high, 1 mi opp direction that had just turned on its landing lights. We disconnected the autoplt and remained level at 17000'. The second aircraft passed overhead. Approximately 45 seconds later we asked approach control the position of our traffic to confirm which aircraft was the reported traffic. Approach replied, '5 O'clock 10 mi 17500'.' he then asked if we saw the traffic and we replied, 'yes.' at this point we still had visibility contact with the first aircraft at our 7:30 position and what looked like our same altitude. We then reconfirmed our clearance to FL270 and started a climb. Shortly thereafter approach control switched us to center and we continued the flight to dfw. At no time during this sequence of events did either dca departure or dulles approach mention any other traffic nor indicate that we may see more than 1 aircraft in the 10-12 O'clock position. Also, when the second aircraft went overhead the first aircraft was at our 9 O'clock position and appeared to be 3-4 mi level at our altitude. Although we were maintaining a watch for other aircraft we were unable to see the oncoming second aircraft head to head from below until he turned on his landing light. The lack of advisories from dca departure or dulles approach as to other traffic in that area led us to believe that we had the only conflicting traffic visually and were tracking a safe course. It is a poor practice to allow 2 aircraft to converge head on in that manner, even with visibility contact when there is a possibility of confusing traffic and identing the wrong aircraft. There should be mandatory horizontal radar sep to ensure that a margin of safety is maintained.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG UNK-VFR ACFT OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC AT NIGHT.

Narrative: DURING CLB FROM DCA AT NIGHT, USING NW DEP, DCA DEP CTL CLRED US TO 17000'. AT APPROX 9000' DEP CTL CLRED US DIRECT LDN WHICH GAVE US A HDG OF 260 DEGS. AT 11000' THEY RPTED TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK, 17500'. WE OBSERVED ONLY 1 ACFT IN THAT AREA AND RESPONDED, 'TFC IN SIGHT.' THE ACFT WAS AT THE 10:30 HIGH POS, OPP DIRECTION, APPROX 20 MI AND WOULD PASS CLR TO THE LEFT. DEP THEN SWITCHED US TO DULLES APCH CTL AT APPROX 12000' AND HAD US RPT THAT WE HAD THE TFC. ON INITIAL CONTACT, APPROX 13000', WITH DULLES APCH WE RPTED 'TFC IN SIGHT.' DULLES APCH THEN CLRED US TO 'CLB TO 270 PLT'S DISCRETION.' WE HESITATED A MOMENT BEFORE READING BACK THE CLRNC AS WE HAD NOT HEARD THE TERM 'PLT'S DISCRETION' USED BEFORE IN RELATION TO A CLB WITH VIS TFC. WE THEN READ BACK THE CLRNC BUT OMITTED THE PLT'S DISCRETION IN HOPES THAT THE CTLR WOULD CLARIFY THE INSTRUCTION. INSTEAD HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE READBACK AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT. AT THIS SAME TIME THE AUTOPLT/FMS LEVELED THE ACFT OFF AT 17000'. WE THEN REPROGRAMMED THE ALT SELECT AND ENGAGED THE VNAV TO START THE CLB. WE WERE WELL CLR AND MAINTAINING VIS SEP FROM THE TFC AND DID NOT SEE ANY OTHER ACFT AHEAD. THE AUTOPLT/FMS WAS SLOW TO LEAVE 17000' AS IT PERFORMED A TRANSITION TO CLB. DURING THIS TRANSITION WE SPOTTED A SECOND ACFT AT 11:30 SLIGHTLY HIGH, 1 MI OPP DIRECTION THAT HAD JUST TURNED ON ITS LNDG LIGHTS. WE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND REMAINED LEVEL AT 17000'. THE SECOND ACFT PASSED OVERHEAD. APPROX 45 SECS LATER WE ASKED APCH CTL THE POS OF OUR TFC TO CONFIRM WHICH ACFT WAS THE RPTED TFC. APCH REPLIED, '5 O'CLOCK 10 MI 17500'.' HE THEN ASKED IF WE SAW THE TFC AND WE REPLIED, 'YES.' AT THIS POINT WE STILL HAD VIS CONTACT WITH THE FIRST ACFT AT OUR 7:30 POS AND WHAT LOOKED LIKE OUR SAME ALT. WE THEN RECONFIRMED OUR CLRNC TO FL270 AND STARTED A CLB. SHORTLY THEREAFTER APCH CTL SWITCHED US TO CENTER AND WE CONTINUED THE FLT TO DFW. AT NO TIME DURING THIS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS DID EITHER DCA DEP OR DULLES APCH MENTION ANY OTHER TFC NOR INDICATE THAT WE MAY SEE MORE THAN 1 ACFT IN THE 10-12 O'CLOCK POS. ALSO, WHEN THE SECOND ACFT WENT OVERHEAD THE FIRST ACFT WAS AT OUR 9 O'CLOCK POS AND APPEARED TO BE 3-4 MI LEVEL AT OUR ALT. ALTHOUGH WE WERE MAINTAINING A WATCH FOR OTHER ACFT WE WERE UNABLE TO SEE THE ONCOMING SECOND ACFT HEAD TO HEAD FROM BELOW UNTIL HE TURNED ON HIS LNDG LIGHT. THE LACK OF ADVISORIES FROM DCA DEP OR DULLES APCH AS TO OTHER TFC IN THAT AREA LED US TO BELIEVE THAT WE HAD THE ONLY CONFLICTING TFC VISUALLY AND WERE TRACKING A SAFE COURSE. IT IS A POOR PRACTICE TO ALLOW 2 ACFT TO CONVERGE HEAD ON IN THAT MANNER, EVEN WITH VIS CONTACT WHEN THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF CONFUSING TFC AND IDENTING THE WRONG ACFT. THERE SHOULD BE MANDATORY HORIZ RADAR SEP TO ENSURE THAT A MARGIN OF SAFETY IS MAINTAINED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.