Narrative:

Santa flight engineer, NM, airport does not have radar. On takeoff, there is a period of time between handoff from tower until radar contact with ZAB. Aircraft flying VFR through the area at 10500 ft altitude will not be known by the santa flight engineer tower. Radar needed at santa flight engineer airport. On climb out of saf airport we left tower and contacted ZAB which cleared us to 16000 ft on filed course. On climbing through 10000 ft we (3 crew) observed a target on TCASII in the red area. Looked for aircraft but could not get visual contact on it. TCASII indicated at our altitude and in front of us. Stopped climb at 10800 ft not knowing what altitude aircraft was at. Did not want to be at 10500 ft or 11000 ft. Turned immediately to the right keeping aircraft off the left wing on TCASII. During this conflict the first officer was attempting to contact ZAB but he was busy. After TCASII showed aircraft passed, got hold of ZAB and they showed aircraft had just come onto their scope at 10600 ft. ZAB said saf tower really needs to have radar. We all agree. We never made visual contact with the aircraft. 3 sets of eyes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC. TCASII. ON CLBOUT FROM SAF, RPTR FLC RECEIVED TCASII ALERT ON A VFR ACFT XING THE CLB CORRIDOR. EVASIVE ACTION REQUIRED. RPTR SAYS THAT SAF TWR NEEDS RADAR AND THAT ZAB CONCURS WITH THE NEED FOR RADAR AT THAT ARPT.

Narrative: SANTA FE, NM, ARPT DOES NOT HAVE RADAR. ON TKOF, THERE IS A PERIOD OF TIME BTWN HDOF FROM TWR UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WITH ZAB. ACFT FLYING VFR THROUGH THE AREA AT 10500 FT ALT WILL NOT BE KNOWN BY THE SANTA FE TWR. RADAR NEEDED AT SANTA FE ARPT. ON CLBOUT OF SAF ARPT WE LEFT TWR AND CONTACTED ZAB WHICH CLRED US TO 16000 FT ON FILED COURSE. ON CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT WE (3 CREW) OBSERVED A TARGET ON TCASII IN THE RED AREA. LOOKED FOR ACFT BUT COULD NOT GET VISUAL CONTACT ON IT. TCASII INDICATED AT OUR ALT AND IN FRONT OF US. STOPPED CLB AT 10800 FT NOT KNOWING WHAT ALT ACFT WAS AT. DID NOT WANT TO BE AT 10500 FT OR 11000 FT. TURNED IMMEDIATELY TO THE R KEEPING ACFT OFF THE L WING ON TCASII. DURING THIS CONFLICT THE FO WAS ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT ZAB BUT HE WAS BUSY. AFTER TCASII SHOWED ACFT PASSED, GOT HOLD OF ZAB AND THEY SHOWED ACFT HAD JUST COME ONTO THEIR SCOPE AT 10600 FT. ZAB SAID SAF TWR REALLY NEEDS TO HAVE RADAR. WE ALL AGREE. WE NEVER MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ACFT. 3 SETS OF EYES.

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.