Narrative:

On climb out from sna passing 11000 ft for FL190 ZLA called traffic at 1 O'clock position and 20 NM. Reported traffic in sight and received clearance to climb to FL230 reference visual traffic. Had traffic in sight and on TCASII at all times. Passing 14800 ft received TCASII TA warning and determined visually that lateral separation would be questionable if climb rate and course were maintained. Made decision to nose over and level off at 15000 ft to ensure vertical separation with slight right turn. Other aircraft passed approximately 1000 ft overhead and 2 mi to our left. Received TCASII RA during leveloff. Contributing factors to this uncomfortable situation were time of day (dusk) causing range-perception problems, other aircraft on different frequency resulting in confusion over what his clearance/intentions might be (flight path, target altitude, etc). More information from ATC about other aircraft clearance/intentions might have been helpful. Will be hesitant in future to accept such clearance without further information about other aircraft intentions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD90 HAD RECEIVED CLRNC CLB FL230 REF B727 IN SIGHT. AT 14800 FT GOT TCASII TA AND RA REF THE B727. LEVELED AT 15000 FT AND MADE SLIGHT R TURN. B727 PASSED 1000 FT ABOVE AND 2 MI. DIFFICULT TO JUDGE DIRECTION OF FLT ACCOUNT VISIBILITY AT THE TIME OF DAY.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM SNA PASSING 11000 FT FOR FL190 ZLA CALLED TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK POS AND 20 NM. RPTED TFC IN SIGHT AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB TO FL230 REF VISUAL TFC. HAD TFC IN SIGHT AND ON TCASII AT ALL TIMES. PASSING 14800 FT RECEIVED TCASII TA WARNING AND DETERMINED VISUALLY THAT LATERAL SEPARATION WOULD BE QUESTIONABLE IF CLB RATE AND COURSE WERE MAINTAINED. MADE DECISION TO NOSE OVER AND LEVEL OFF AT 15000 FT TO ENSURE VERT SEPARATION WITH SLIGHT R TURN. OTHER ACFT PASSED APPROX 1000 FT OVERHEAD AND 2 MI TO OUR L. RECEIVED TCASII RA DURING LEVELOFF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS UNCOMFORTABLE SIT WERE TIME OF DAY (DUSK) CAUSING RANGE-PERCEPTION PROBS, OTHER ACFT ON DIFFERENT FREQ RESULTING IN CONFUSION OVER WHAT HIS CLRNC/INTENTIONS MIGHT BE (FLT PATH, TARGET ALT, ETC). MORE INFO FROM ATC ABOUT OTHER ACFT CLRNC/INTENTIONS MIGHT HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. WILL BE HESITANT IN FUTURE TO ACCEPT SUCH CLRNC WITHOUT FURTHER INFO ABOUT OTHER ACFT INTENTIONS.

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.