Close proximity air carrier-widebody transport GA-small aircraft in lak VFR flyway west of lax.

Attributes
ACN	131349
Time
Date	198912
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	131349
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Initial altitude clearance out of lax was to 2000' off of runway 25L. After liftoff tower issued a clearance to 'fly heading of 235 passing the los angeles VOR, maintain 5000', contact departure.' the aircraft was relatively light and climbing quickly. Departure was contacted between 1500-2500'. Approximately at the same time traffic was noted between 11:30 and 12 O'clock. It was very dark (no horizon and over water) and there was very little sense of distance with the traffic. Within a few seconds it was obvious that we were on a collision course with a rapid rate of closure. By this time the traffic was directly in front of us with our landing lights illuminating a single engine light airplane. There was no time to maneuver. The main impression that we had was the lack of depth perception that we all had with a completely dark field of vision and only lights to identify the other aircraft. There may or may not have been a problem with the clearance to 5000'. All cockpit crew members remember hearing 5000' and 5000' was set in the altitude alert window per company procedure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-WDB GA-SMA IN LAK VFR FLYWAY WEST OF LAX.

Narrative: INITIAL ALT CLRNC OUT OF LAX WAS TO 2000' OFF OF RWY 25L. AFTER LIFTOFF TWR ISSUED A CLRNC TO 'FLY HDG OF 235 PASSING THE LOS ANGELES VOR, MAINTAIN 5000', CONTACT DEP.' THE ACFT WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT AND CLBING QUICKLY. DEP WAS CONTACTED BTWN 1500-2500'. APPROX AT THE SAME TIME TFC WAS NOTED BTWN 11:30 AND 12 O'CLOCK. IT WAS VERY DARK (NO HORIZON AND OVER WATER) AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE SENSE OF DISTANCE WITH THE TFC. WITHIN A FEW SECS IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH A RAPID RATE OF CLOSURE. BY THIS TIME THE TFC WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US WITH OUR LNDG LIGHTS ILLUMINATING A SINGLE ENG LIGHT AIRPLANE. THERE WAS NO TIME TO MANEUVER. THE MAIN IMPRESSION THAT WE HAD WAS THE LACK OF DEPTH PERCEPTION THAT WE ALL HAD WITH A COMPLETELY DARK FIELD OF VISION AND ONLY LIGHTS TO IDENT THE OTHER ACFT. THERE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN A PROB WITH THE CLRNC TO 5000'. ALL COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS REMEMBER HEARING 5000' AND 5000' WAS SET IN THE ALT ALERT WINDOW PER COMPANY PROC.

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.