Narrative:

Departed rno runway 16R on 'SID FMG4.fmg' at XX46L. SID calls for left turn to fmg VOR at D3 rno. At D2.6 rno departure control told us to turn left heading 320 degrees, intercept J92 north of fmg VOR, climb and maintain 15000 ft (previously cleared to 10000 ft). In the turn he told us there was a seminole at 12 O'clock position becoming 2 O'clock position at 15 mi at 9000 ft descending. We reported traffic in sight and continued climbing turn, to pass at 2000 ft above him or better. We heard the seminole ask, 'is the jet climbing?' the controller did not answer. Soon we got him on TCASII at 6 mi, above us, we were now at 9500 ft climbing. The seminole had now climbed and turned left. The controller assumed the seminole was listening, that he would continue straight ahead and descend. Without specific instructions, the VFR seminole had climbed into our path. We received a TA, followed by an RA, 'descend, descend.' we followed the RA and passed one and one half mi laterally and 1000 ft vertically. From 9500 ft we followed RA to 8800 ft MSL with a sharp left turn, followed by 'clear of conflict,' then continued climb. ATC assumed the seminole was listening and issued no specific instructions, had he told the seminole to continue descent, there would have been no conflict. But, at night, lights, even with a bright moon, make it all deceiving -- distance, relative altitude, etc. We don't know if the seminole had a TCASII on board. There was typical rno light turbulence throughout the maneuver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD82 ON SID FMG4-FMG CLBING TO 10000 FT. DEP CTLR ADVISED TFC, SEMINOLE, DSNDING. TFC IN SIGHT. SEMINOLE STOPPED HIS DSCNT AND RESULTED IN TCASII IN MD82 GIVING RA WARNING TO DSND. COMPLIED. HAD THE SEMINOLE CONTINUED DSCNT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROB.

Narrative: DEPARTED RNO RWY 16R ON 'SID FMG4.FMG' AT XX46L. SID CALLS FOR L TURN TO FMG VOR AT D3 RNO. AT D2.6 RNO DEP CTL TOLD US TO TURN L HDG 320 DEGS, INTERCEPT J92 N OF FMG VOR, CLB AND MAINTAIN 15000 FT (PREVIOUSLY CLRED TO 10000 FT). IN THE TURN HE TOLD US THERE WAS A SEMINOLE AT 12 O'CLOCK POS BECOMING 2 O'CLOCK POS AT 15 MI AT 9000 FT DSNDING. WE RPTED TFC IN SIGHT AND CONTINUED CLBING TURN, TO PASS AT 2000 FT ABOVE HIM OR BETTER. WE HEARD THE SEMINOLE ASK, 'IS THE JET CLBING?' THE CTLR DID NOT ANSWER. SOON WE GOT HIM ON TCASII AT 6 MI, ABOVE US, WE WERE NOW AT 9500 FT CLBING. THE SEMINOLE HAD NOW CLBED AND TURNED L. THE CTLR ASSUMED THE SEMINOLE WAS LISTENING, THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND DSND. WITHOUT SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS, THE VFR SEMINOLE HAD CLBED INTO OUR PATH. WE RECEIVED A TA, FOLLOWED BY AN RA, 'DSND, DSND.' WE FOLLOWED THE RA AND PASSED ONE AND ONE HALF MI LATERALLY AND 1000 FT VERTLY. FROM 9500 FT WE FOLLOWED RA TO 8800 FT MSL WITH A SHARP L TURN, FOLLOWED BY 'CLR OF CONFLICT,' THEN CONTINUED CLB. ATC ASSUMED THE SEMINOLE WAS LISTENING AND ISSUED NO SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS, HAD HE TOLD THE SEMINOLE TO CONTINUE DSCNT, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO CONFLICT. BUT, AT NIGHT, LIGHTS, EVEN WITH A BRIGHT MOON, MAKE IT ALL DECEIVING -- DISTANCE, RELATIVE ALT, ETC. WE DON'T KNOW IF THE SEMINOLE HAD A TCASII ON BOARD. THERE WAS TYPICAL RNO LIGHT TURB THROUGHOUT THE MANEUVER.

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.