Narrative:

I was the captain on flight xyz iad-ord, 4/xx/90. The copilot was flying, climbing from 4000' to our assigned altitude of 11000' on a heading of 330 degrees, airspeed 230 KTS (assigned). Departure control told us to level at our present altitude. We leveled at 10700'. Seeing no aircraft in front of us, I looked to the left and behind us and saw an medium large transport (flight # unknown) at our approximately 8 O'clock position. The medium large transport passed approximately 1/4-1/4 mi in front of us. We estimated his altitude to be 11000' and his heading approximately 020 degrees. If we had not leveled at 10700', we would have come very close to the medium large transport. No evasive action was taken. Problem/corrective action: the departure from iah was unusual in the fact that departure control slowed us to 230 KTS and assigned us a heading of 330 degrees 'vectors for the departure gate,' or something to that effect as stated by the departure controller. I think departure control should have assigned us a lower altitude to have avoided this conflict. No comment was made by us, the pilot of the medium large transport flight nor the departure controller, due to the moderate amount of radio xmissions at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEP ACFT AND AN ENROUTE ACFT UNDER THE CONTROL OF AN ATC CTLR CAME IN CLOSE PROX TO ONE ANOTHER WHICH RESULTED IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT XYZ IAD-ORD, 4/XX/90. THE COPLT WAS FLYING, CLBING FROM 4000' TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 11000' ON A HDG OF 330 DEGS, AIRSPD 230 KTS (ASSIGNED). DEP CTL TOLD US TO LEVEL AT OUR PRESENT ALT. WE LEVELED AT 10700'. SEEING NO ACFT IN FRONT OF US, I LOOKED TO THE LEFT AND BEHIND US AND SAW AN MLG (FLT # UNKNOWN) AT OUR APPROX 8 O'CLOCK POS. THE MLG PASSED APPROX 1/4-1/4 MI IN FRONT OF US. WE ESTIMATED HIS ALT TO BE 11000' AND HIS HDG APPROX 020 DEGS. IF WE HAD NOT LEVELED AT 10700', WE WOULD HAVE COME VERY CLOSE TO THE MLG. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. PROB/CORRECTIVE ACTION: THE DEP FROM IAH WAS UNUSUAL IN THE FACT THAT DEP CTL SLOWED US TO 230 KTS AND ASSIGNED US A HDG OF 330 DEGS 'VECTORS FOR THE DEP GATE,' OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT AS STATED BY THE DEP CTLR. I THINK DEP CTL SHOULD HAVE ASSIGNED US A LOWER ALT TO HAVE AVOIDED THIS CONFLICT. NO COMMENT WAS MADE BY US, THE PLT OF THE MLG FLT NOR THE DEP CTLR, DUE TO THE MODERATE AMOUNT OF RADIO XMISSIONS AT THE TIME.

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.