Narrative:

Aug, 1991, departing from the golden triangle airport in columbus, ms, 2 commuter aircraft came within less than a mi of one another. Flight XXX requested clearance from gtr on the ground as we held short of runway 36 at gtr. We were asked if we could accept an immediate release with a 2 min void time, 'turn now 36, void if not off by 38'. We accepted the release, completed a brief before takeoff checklist and took off well inside the clearance window. In fact, only 1 min elapsed before we were departing runway 36 (we departed 36 as the winds were calm and our flight path on course would have been 030). After airborne, departure control answered us on our third call out of gtr with a 'flight XXX maintain VFR'. I looked out the window to our right, and saw another commuter aircraft deviating left of the approach course (for runway 18) upon direction to do so immediately by the departure controller. Flight visibility was about a mi and I told the controller we were unable to maintain VFR and that I saw the other aircraft very close to us. There was no response from the controling facility about my seeing the other aircraft. The captain asked 'what happened back there, we are on an instrument flight plan?' the controling facility told us we had missed our void time. What I believe happened was the controller cleared the other commuter aircraft for the 18 approach into gtr immediately upon expiration of our void time assuming we were not airborne, even though we accepted the void time and had not subsequently informed them otherwise. We may not have had contact with the controller by XA38 but we certainly were airborne prior to that time. The WX at the time was sky obscured and 1 mi visibility on the surface. The controller never asked us which runway we would be departing, nor did controller inform us controller had an inbound for the instrument approach to runway 18. There was at least 1 other aircraft that idented themselves as a witness to our trying to contact departure control within the clearance window.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX 2 COMMUTER LTT ACFT. 1 ON APCH TO RWY 18 THE OTHER ON CLB OUT FROM RWY 36.

Narrative: AUG, 1991, DEPARTING FROM THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE ARPT IN COLUMBUS, MS, 2 COMMUTER ACFT CAME WITHIN LESS THAN A MI OF ONE ANOTHER. FLT XXX REQUESTED CLRNC FROM GTR ON THE GND AS WE HELD SHORT OF RWY 36 AT GTR. WE WERE ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT AN IMMEDIATE RELEASE WITH A 2 MIN VOID TIME, 'TURN NOW 36, VOID IF NOT OFF BY 38'. WE ACCEPTED THE RELEASE, COMPLETED A BRIEF BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND TOOK OFF WELL INSIDE THE CLRNC WINDOW. IN FACT, ONLY 1 MIN ELAPSED BEFORE WE WERE DEPARTING RWY 36 (WE DEPARTED 36 AS THE WINDS WERE CALM AND OUR FLT PATH ON COURSE WOULD HAVE BEEN 030). AFTER AIRBORNE, DEP CTL ANSWERED US ON OUR THIRD CALL OUT OF GTR WITH A 'FLT XXX MAINTAIN VFR'. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO OUR R, AND SAW ANOTHER COMMUTER ACFT DEVIATING L OF THE APCH COURSE (FOR RWY 18) UPON DIRECTION TO DO SO IMMEDIATELY BY THE DEP CTLR. FLT VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT A MI AND I TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR AND THAT I SAW THE OTHER ACFT VERY CLOSE TO US. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE CTLING FACILITY ABOUT MY SEEING THE OTHER ACFT. THE CAPT ASKED 'WHAT HAPPENED BACK THERE, WE ARE ON AN INST FLT PLAN?' THE CTLING FACILITY TOLD US WE HAD MISSED OUR VOID TIME. WHAT I BELIEVE HAPPENED WAS THE CTLR CLRED THE OTHER COMMUTER ACFT FOR THE 18 APCH INTO GTR IMMEDIATELY UPON EXPIRATION OF OUR VOID TIME ASSUMING WE WERE NOT AIRBORNE, EVEN THOUGH WE ACCEPTED THE VOID TIME AND HAD NOT SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED THEM OTHERWISE. WE MAY NOT HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH THE CTLR BY XA38 BUT WE CERTAINLY WERE AIRBORNE PRIOR TO THAT TIME. THE WX AT THE TIME WAS SKY OBSCURED AND 1 MI VISIBILITY ON THE SURFACE. THE CTLR NEVER ASKED US WHICH RWY WE WOULD BE DEPARTING, NOR DID CTLR INFORM US CTLR HAD AN INBOUND FOR THE INST APCH TO RWY 18. THERE WAS AT LEAST 1 OTHER ACFT THAT IDENTED THEMSELVES AS A WITNESS TO OUR TRYING TO CONTACT DEP CTL WITHIN THE CLRNC WINDOW.

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.