Potential conflict. Flight crew initiated avoidance maneuver. Less than standard separation.

Attributes
ACN	108400
Time
Date	198904
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hub airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6800 msl bound upper : 6800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 9950 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	108400
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 2250
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Tower controller gave assigned heading of 260 degree climb to 4000', late handoff from local controller because of very heavy traffic. When we tuned to departure frequency he was already asking if we were on frequency. Departure control gave us a continued climb to 15000', but not the usual on course clearance (heading 210 degrees). While still on the assigned heading of 260 degrees climbing to 15000' I saw air carrier aircraft Y less than a mile at 10:30. I started an evasive maneuver out of reflex, but only turned through about 10 degrees of heading before we passed the opp direction medium large transport at 6800' and about DME 8 west of hub. After we had passed the departure controller called 'traffic less than a mile at 11 O'clock!!!!!!' when we said we saw the medium large transport the departure controller relaxed and told us to 'maintain visibility...left turn direct (on course).' extensive reduction in airport/runway capacity at hou because of major construction and runway closures. Increase in traffic at hou lots of: 'expedite,' 'hold short of...,' tower control of taxiing aircraft between parallel runways, very broad mix of aircraft. New departure controller with low workload in VFR WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT. FLT CREW INITIATED AVOIDANCE MANEUVER. LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: TWR CTLR GAVE ASSIGNED HDG OF 260 DEG CLB TO 4000', LATE HDOF FROM LCL CTLR BECAUSE OF VERY HEAVY TFC. WHEN WE TUNED TO DEP FREQ HE WAS ALREADY ASKING IF WE WERE ON FREQ. DEP CTL GAVE US A CONTINUED CLB TO 15000', BUT NOT THE USUAL ON COURSE CLRNC (HDG 210 DEGS). WHILE STILL ON THE ASSIGNED HDG OF 260 DEGS CLBING TO 15000' I SAW ACR ACFT Y LESS THAN A MILE AT 10:30. I STARTED AN EVASIVE MANEUVER OUT OF REFLEX, BUT ONLY TURNED THROUGH ABOUT 10 DEGS OF HDG BEFORE WE PASSED THE OPP DIRECTION MLG AT 6800' AND ABOUT DME 8 W OF HUB. AFTER WE HAD PASSED THE DEP CTLR CALLED 'TFC LESS THAN A MILE AT 11 O'CLOCK!!!!!!' WHEN WE SAID WE SAW THE MLG THE DEP CTLR RELAXED AND TOLD US TO 'MAINTAIN VIS...LEFT TURN DIRECT (ON COURSE).' EXTENSIVE REDUCTION IN ARPT/RWY CAPACITY AT HOU BECAUSE OF MAJOR CONSTRUCTION AND RWY CLOSURES. INCREASE IN TFC AT HOU LOTS OF: 'EXPEDITE,' 'HOLD SHORT OF...,' TWR CTL OF TAXIING ACFT BTWN PARALLEL RWYS, VERY BROAD MIX OF ACFT. NEW DEP CTLR WITH LOW WORKLOAD IN VFR WX.

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.