A VFR departing aircraft overtook and passed over the top of an IFR departing aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	144807
Time
Date	199005
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sba
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3200 msl bound upper : 3200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sba
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 430 flight time type : 380
ASRS Report	144807
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Small aircraft X departed sba runway 15R with a clearance to maintain runway heading for vectors to cma VOR. After handoff to departure, small aircraft X was given a heading of 130 degrees. Within 30 seconds after small aircraft Y takeoff, small aircraft Y departed sba runway 15L. After small aircraft Y was handed off to departure, both aircraft were told by departure controller of the other aircraft position. Small aircraft X responded, 'looking for traffic.' small aircraft Y: 'have traffic.' small aircraft Y had also been given a heading of 130 degrees. At this point the small aircraft Y was following the small aircraft X in the 6 O'clock position relative to the small aircraft X. Small aircraft X airspeed 95-100 mph, vertical speed 400-500 FPM. Small aircraft X was given clearance to climb to 5000'. At 3000-3200' the small aircraft Y passed directly overhead of the small aircraft X by 100'. The small aircraft Y fuselage filled the right half of the windshield. Small aircraft X descended and turned to the left while calling the departure controller. Departure asked small aircraft Y if he had us in sight, which he responded that he did. Due to the position of the aircraft the small aircraft X was not visible to the small aircraft Y. No other actions or communications took place re: the situation and the flight proceeded normally. I contacted the sba tower within 2 days to discuss with the tower chief exactly what happened. Tower chief reviewed the tapes and stated that since the small aircraft Y stated that he 'had the traffic,' that the controller had done all that he could. He also said that it 'was busy out there and the controller had to rely on the pilots in VFR to maintain sep.' his attitude was that nothing had really happened. In a radar environment, with both aircraft with mode C and the faster aircraft closing from behind on an aircraft on an IFR flight plan, the regulation clearly states that the radar images shall not touch and the aircraft shall no come within 500' vertical. Solutions: 1) diverting headings on parallel departures, 2) restrict following aircraft to lower altitude, 3) follow arsa IFR/VFR sep, and 4) verify sep more than once.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR DEPARTING ACFT OVERTOOK AND PASSED OVER THE TOP OF AN IFR DEPARTING ACFT.

Narrative: SMA X DEPARTED SBA RWY 15R WITH A CLRNC TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG FOR VECTORS TO CMA VOR. AFTER HDOF TO DEP, SMA X WAS GIVEN A HDG OF 130 DEGS. WITHIN 30 SECS AFTER SMA Y TKOF, SMA Y DEPARTED SBA RWY 15L. AFTER SMA Y WAS HANDED OFF TO DEP, BOTH ACFT WERE TOLD BY DEP CTLR OF THE OTHER ACFT POS. SMA X RESPONDED, 'LOOKING FOR TFC.' SMA Y: 'HAVE TFC.' SMA Y HAD ALSO BEEN GIVEN A HDG OF 130 DEGS. AT THIS POINT THE SMA Y WAS FOLLOWING THE SMA X IN THE 6 O'CLOCK POS RELATIVE TO THE SMA X. SMA X AIRSPD 95-100 MPH, VERT SPD 400-500 FPM. SMA X WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO CLB TO 5000'. AT 3000-3200' THE SMA Y PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD OF THE SMA X BY 100'. THE SMA Y FUSELAGE FILLED THE RIGHT HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD. SMA X DESCENDED AND TURNED TO THE LEFT WHILE CALLING THE DEP CTLR. DEP ASKED SMA Y IF HE HAD US IN SIGHT, WHICH HE RESPONDED THAT HE DID. DUE TO THE POS OF THE ACFT THE SMA X WAS NOT VISIBLE TO THE SMA Y. NO OTHER ACTIONS OR COMS TOOK PLACE RE: THE SITUATION AND THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. I CONTACTED THE SBA TWR WITHIN 2 DAYS TO DISCUSS WITH THE TWR CHIEF EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. TWR CHIEF REVIEWED THE TAPES AND STATED THAT SINCE THE SMA Y STATED THAT HE 'HAD THE TFC,' THAT THE CTLR HAD DONE ALL THAT HE COULD. HE ALSO SAID THAT IT 'WAS BUSY OUT THERE AND THE CTLR HAD TO RELY ON THE PLTS IN VFR TO MAINTAIN SEP.' HIS ATTITUDE WAS THAT NOTHING HAD REALLY HAPPENED. IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT, WITH BOTH ACFT WITH MODE C AND THE FASTER ACFT CLOSING FROM BEHIND ON AN ACFT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, THE REG CLEARLY STATES THAT THE RADAR IMAGES SHALL NOT TOUCH AND THE ACFT SHALL NO COME WITHIN 500' VERT. SOLUTIONS: 1) DIVERTING HDGS ON PARALLEL DEPS, 2) RESTRICT FOLLOWING ACFT TO LOWER ALT, 3) FOLLOW ARSA IFR/VFR SEP, AND 4) VERIFY SEP MORE THAN ONCE.

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.