Operational error loss of separation.

Attributes
ACN	292298
Time
Date	199412
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phz tower : phz
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	292298
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 2000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Shortly after becoming airborne tower tells me there's a 'B727 off the right runway on climb out for a north departure.' sure enough I'm looking at Y at 1 O'clock, 1.5 NM, slightly high. I reported him in sight. And that would have been the end...except we're below him, climbing at a great rate and out accelerating him -- and planning a northeast departure, too! I asked dpe what his (Y) en route and climb limit clearance were? '...15000 ft and northeast' was the answer. By now we're showing a TCASII TA and we've 'bugged.' the airspeed back from 250 KIAS to vzf (220 KT) to expedite the climb rate and reduce closure. However, now Y is now turning north! As I'm losing sight of Y under the nose (about 2000 ft below us) I report to departure we're no longer able to maintain visual contact. Only now do they (departure) seem to grasp the severity of the situation: issuing us a vector, off course and Y an attitude cap (below us). Surely this is not standard procedure! Perhaps the problem was caused by the perception that 'a jet is a jet,' not realizing that new jets out climb old jets, etc. Releasing 2 aircraft towards the same point at the same time could spell disaster!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERROR LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE TWR TELLS ME THERE'S A 'B727 OFF THE R RWY ON CLB OUT FOR A N DEP.' SURE ENOUGH I'M LOOKING AT Y AT 1 O'CLOCK, 1.5 NM, SLIGHTLY HIGH. I RPTED HIM IN SIGHT. AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE END...EXCEPT WE'RE BELOW HIM, CLBING AT A GREAT RATE AND OUT ACCELERATING HIM -- AND PLANNING A NE DEP, TOO! I ASKED DPE WHAT HIS (Y) ENRTE AND CLB LIMIT CLRNC WERE? '...15000 FT AND NE' WAS THE ANSWER. BY NOW WE'RE SHOWING A TCASII TA AND WE'VE 'BUGGED.' THE AIRSPD BACK FROM 250 KIAS TO VZF (220 KT) TO EXPEDITE THE CLB RATE AND REDUCE CLOSURE. HOWEVER, NOW Y IS NOW TURNING N! AS I'M LOSING SIGHT OF Y UNDER THE NOSE (ABOUT 2000 FT BELOW US) I RPT TO DEP WE'RE NO LONGER ABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT. ONLY NOW DO THEY (DEP) SEEM TO GRASP THE SEVERITY OF THE SIT: ISSUING US A VECTOR, OFF COURSE AND Y AN ATTITUDE CAP (BELOW US). SURELY THIS IS NOT STANDARD PROC! PERHAPS THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY THE PERCEPTION THAT 'A JET IS A JET,' NOT REALIZING THAT NEW JETS OUT CLB OLD JETS, ETC. RELEASING 2 ACFT TOWARDS THE SAME POINT AT THE SAME TIME COULD SPELL DISASTER!

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.