During cruise climb, an medium large transport flight crew had difficulty maintaining visual separation with a commuter turboprop and experienced an near midair collision. ARTCC radar controller had cleared the flight to a higher altitude on a visual separation clearance.

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Attributes
ACN	326994
Time
Date	199602
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : psp
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : psp
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 10600 flight time type : 280
ASRS Report	326994
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A near miss with a commuter airline turboprop occurred while climbing through 17000 ft to FL230. ATC cleared us to climb to FL230 and maintain visual separation with the traffic. PF continued climbing to FL230 and had visual contact with the turboprop but had difficulty determining the flight path of the turboprop due to the paint scheme of the commuter. 'PNF' turned off the RA (TCASII) mode and did not advise PF. The lack of any TCASII warnings influenced the 'PF' that the convergence angle was less than actual. Evasive pitch up action was taken. In the future I will keep TCASII in RA mode, and will not advise ATC of 'visual contact' until both pilots clearly see and have determined the flight path of traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING CRUISE CLB, AN MLG FLC HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING VISUAL SEPARATION WITH A COMMUTER TURBOPROP AND EXPERIENCED AN NMAC. ARTCC RADAR CTLR HAD CLRED THE FLT TO A HIGHER ALT ON A VISUAL SEPARATION CLRNC.

Narrative: A NEAR MISS WITH A COMMUTER AIRLINE TURBOPROP OCCURRED WHILE CLBING THROUGH 17000 FT TO FL230. ATC CLRED US TO CLB TO FL230 AND MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THE TFC. PF CONTINUED CLBING TO FL230 AND HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TURBOPROP BUT HAD DIFFICULTY DETERMINING THE FLT PATH OF THE TURBOPROP DUE TO THE PAINT SCHEME OF THE COMMUTER. 'PNF' TURNED OFF THE RA (TCASII) MODE AND DID NOT ADVISE PF. THE LACK OF ANY TCASII WARNINGS INFLUENCED THE 'PF' THAT THE CONVERGENCE ANGLE WAS LESS THAN ACTUAL. EVASIVE PITCH UP ACTION WAS TAKEN. IN THE FUTURE I WILL KEEP TCASII IN RA MODE, AND WILL NOT ADVISE ATC OF 'VISUAL CONTACT' UNTIL BOTH PLTS CLRLY SEE AND HAVE DETERMINED THE FLT PATH OF TFC.

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.