Possible near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	138622
Time
Date	199003
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : stl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	138622
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other other

Narrative:

After takeoff from stl, runway 30R, we were assigned 3 different and progressive headings and altitudes, the last of which was 060 degree heading and 8000' for vectors out of airport area. We were stable on heading and altitude for only 1 min when departure gave us opp direction traffic, a twin small transport, wbound, 12 O'clock and I don't remember the distance but it was close--3 mi or less. My first reaction was to scan below, as that's usually where traffic is. Seeing nothing lower I looked up just in time to see the belly of a light twin in the center panel of the windshield directly overhead and close. It didn't look like more than 300' and possibly less. I asked the controller about the altitude of the traffic and he responded, 'more than 8000'.' 8000' is the top of the TCA. There was no time for evasive action. I believe controller workload played a large part, because it was a very short advance notice. An evasive heading could have been given. By his response he had a good idea of the aircraft altitude. My first officer, who was flying, never saw the traffic, even thought he was looking. An 8000' altitude assignment is very unusual on stl departure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE NMAC.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM STL, RWY 30R, WE WERE ASSIGNED 3 DIFFERENT AND PROGRESSIVE HDGS AND ALTS, THE LAST OF WHICH WAS 060 DEG HDG AND 8000' FOR VECTORS OUT OF ARPT AREA. WE WERE STABLE ON HDG AND ALT FOR ONLY 1 MIN WHEN DEP GAVE US OPP DIRECTION TFC, A TWIN SMT, WBOUND, 12 O'CLOCK AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE DISTANCE BUT IT WAS CLOSE--3 MI OR LESS. MY FIRST REACTION WAS TO SCAN BELOW, AS THAT'S USUALLY WHERE TFC IS. SEEING NOTHING LOWER I LOOKED UP JUST IN TIME TO SEE THE BELLY OF A LIGHT TWIN IN THE CENTER PANEL OF THE WINDSHIELD DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AND CLOSE. IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE MORE THAN 300' AND POSSIBLY LESS. I ASKED THE CTLR ABOUT THE ALT OF THE TFC AND HE RESPONDED, 'MORE THAN 8000'.' 8000' IS THE TOP OF THE TCA. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR EVASIVE ACTION. I BELIEVE CTLR WORKLOAD PLAYED A LARGE PART, BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY SHORT ADVANCE NOTICE. AN EVASIVE HDG COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN. BY HIS RESPONSE HE HAD A GOOD IDEA OF THE ACFT ALT. MY F/O, WHO WAS FLYING, NEVER SAW THE TFC, EVEN THOUGHT HE WAS LOOKING. AN 8000' ALT ASSIGNMENT IS VERY UNUSUAL ON STL DEP.

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