Narrative:

On climb out, assigned 13000 ft MSL on assigned heading of 220 degree, passing 10000 ft MSL, I had just called for the altimeter check required by company at 10000 ft. The first officer was flying, the captain had just signaled the flight attendants that sterile cockpit had terminated (at 10000 MSL) when he came on the controls as he spotted traffic crossing left to right heading approximately 360 degree, altitude approximately 10200 ft. Captain did not assume control but pointed out traffic to first officer. Estimate miss distance at 200 ft. Captain called departure control, they had no readout on the airplane until just after we went under him. His readout then was reported as 10400 ft MSL. Ord TCA extends to 20 mi up to 10000 ft MSL. We were at 17 NM and climbing through 10000 ft. Technically, no one is at fault. Lessons learned: traffic watch must be maintained with vigilance through FL180. Especially in an area like chicago with so much traffic. Airplane we were in had not been upgraded with the TCAS system. My opinion is that TCAS would have been very helpful in this situation. Supplemental information from acn 184638. The captain queried the controller about the light twin. The controller's response was, 'ok.' the captain, again, questioned the controller. This time, the controller acknowledged a target that, apparently, just popped up 4 mi north of our position at 10400 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACCELERATING AT 10000 SAW SMA TWIN PASS AT ESTIMATED 10200.

Narrative: ON CLB OUT, ASSIGNED 13000 FT MSL ON ASSIGNED HDG OF 220 DEG, PASSING 10000 FT MSL, I HAD JUST CALLED FOR THE ALTIMETER CHK REQUIRED BY COMPANY AT 10000 FT. THE FO WAS FLYING, THE CAPT HAD JUST SIGNALED THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT STERILE COCKPIT HAD TERMINATED (AT 10000 MSL) WHEN HE CAME ON THE CTLS AS HE SPOTTED TFC XING L TO R HDG APPROX 360 DEG, ALT APPROX 10200 FT. CAPT DID NOT ASSUME CTL BUT POINTED OUT TFC TO FO. ESTIMATE MISS DISTANCE AT 200 FT. CAPT CALLED DEP CTL, THEY HAD NO READOUT ON THE AIRPLANE UNTIL JUST AFTER WE WENT UNDER HIM. HIS READOUT THEN WAS RPTED AS 10400 FT MSL. ORD TCA EXTENDS TO 20 MI UP TO 10000 FT MSL. WE WERE AT 17 NM AND CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT. TECHNICALLY, NO ONE IS AT FAULT. LESSONS LEARNED: TFC WATCH MUST BE MAINTAINED WITH VIGILANCE THROUGH FL180. ESPECIALLY IN AN AREA LIKE CHICAGO WITH SO MUCH TFC. AIRPLANE WE WERE IN HAD NOT BEEN UPGRADED WITH THE TCAS SYS. MY OPINION IS THAT TCAS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN THIS SITUATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 184638. THE CAPT QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT THE LIGHT TWIN. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS, 'OK.' THE CAPT, AGAIN, QUESTIONED THE CTLR. THIS TIME, THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED A TARGET THAT, APPARENTLY, JUST POPPED UP 4 MI N OF OUR POS AT 10400 FT.

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.