Narrative:

Preparing to leave vgt, I called on 133.95 to receive a clearance through las TCA. At XA45, vgt tower was closed. I couldn't raise anyone, so I decided to try once airborne. I took off from runway 30 and headed west at 3500 ft outside the inner core of the TCA, and outside of the TCA. After failing to raise las approach on 133.95 (frequency given on vgt ATIS), I contacted las approach on 125.9, the approach frequency. The controller gave me a squawk, asked what altitude I desired. I said 8500 ft MSL, and he said to climb and maintain 8500 ft. The controller called back and asked if I saw traffic departing runway 25 at las. I said 'no,' the ground clutter was too great. At this point, I was approaching an extended runway centerline, about 5.7 NM DME from las. The controller called back some seconds later and said to maintain my present altitude. I called back and said that I now had the traffic. It was a twin engine jet, DC9 perhaps, headed right toward me, closing fast, and below me a bit. The controller said to maintain visual separation. The DC9 jet was at my 9 O'clock position. My options were few. A 180 degree turn would put me back in the jet's path but in the other direction and I would lose visual contact. The jet initiated a left turn, and climbed. I turned right, once he committed to a turn. I was worried about diving to avoid the jet since terrain was climbing in my vicinity. Factors contributing to this situation are: 1) lack of VFR options for leaving vgt, and transitioning the TCA. There is rising terrain all around las TCA, and flying around is difficult, but possible by day heading west, but too dangerous at night. Further, no VFR corridor exists. 2) no reliable way to contact las ATC from the ground at vgt when the tower is closed. The ATIS at vgt advises the use of 133.95, but this frequency was unmonitored that night. Actions, or lack thereof: being a 'sitting duck' flying at 120-140 KTS and being 'T-boned' by the jet, I could have done an immediate 180 degree turn and dived, but a turn in the wrong direction by the faster jet would have nullified the effect of any turn by me. The jet captain waited until the last possible moment to turn. The controller did not issue vector directions to either of us, making me think he was perhaps a trainee. Also, thinking back, he never specifically cleared me into the TCA before giving me instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FLYING BONANZA VFR DEPARTED VGT TO THE NW THEN TURNED TO THE SW MAINTAINING 3500 FT CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. PLT CONTACTED LAS APCH AND WAS GIVEN CLB TO 8500 FT. THE CTLR THEN ASKED THE PLT IF HE HAD TFC DEPARTING LAS RWY 25 IN SIGHT. BOTH ACFT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A COLLISION.

Narrative: PREPARING TO LEAVE VGT, I CALLED ON 133.95 TO RECEIVE A CLRNC THROUGH LAS TCA. AT XA45, VGT TWR WAS CLOSED. I COULDN'T RAISE ANYONE, SO I DECIDED TO TRY ONCE AIRBORNE. I TOOK OFF FROM RWY 30 AND HEADED W AT 3500 FT OUTSIDE THE INNER CORE OF THE TCA, AND OUTSIDE OF THE TCA. AFTER FAILING TO RAISE LAS APCH ON 133.95 (FREQ GIVEN ON VGT ATIS), I CONTACTED LAS APCH ON 125.9, THE APCH FREQ. THE CTLR GAVE ME A SQUAWK, ASKED WHAT ALT I DESIRED. I SAID 8500 FT MSL, AND HE SAID TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 8500 FT. THE CTLR CALLED BACK AND ASKED IF I SAW TFC DEPARTING RWY 25 AT LAS. I SAID 'NO,' THE GND CLUTTER WAS TOO GREAT. AT THIS POINT, I WAS APCHING AN EXTENDED RWY CTRLINE, ABOUT 5.7 NM DME FROM LAS. THE CTLR CALLED BACK SOME SECONDS LATER AND SAID TO MAINTAIN MY PRESENT ALT. I CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT I NOW HAD THE TFC. IT WAS A TWIN ENG JET, DC9 PERHAPS, HEADED RIGHT TOWARD ME, CLOSING FAST, AND BELOW ME A BIT. THE CTLR SAID TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. THE DC9 JET WAS AT MY 9 O'CLOCK POS. MY OPTIONS WERE FEW. A 180 DEG TURN WOULD PUT ME BACK IN THE JET'S PATH BUT IN THE OTHER DIRECTION AND I WOULD LOSE VISUAL CONTACT. THE JET INITIATED A L TURN, AND CLBED. I TURNED R, ONCE HE COMMITTED TO A TURN. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT DIVING TO AVOID THE JET SINCE TERRAIN WAS CLBING IN MY VICINITY. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS SIT ARE: 1) LACK OF VFR OPTIONS FOR LEAVING VGT, AND TRANSITIONING THE TCA. THERE IS RISING TERRAIN ALL AROUND LAS TCA, AND FLYING AROUND IS DIFFICULT, BUT POSSIBLE BY DAY HDG W, BUT TOO DANGEROUS AT NIGHT. FURTHER, NO VFR CORRIDOR EXISTS. 2) NO RELIABLE WAY TO CONTACT LAS ATC FROM THE GND AT VGT WHEN THE TWR IS CLOSED. THE ATIS AT VGT ADVISES THE USE OF 133.95, BUT THIS FREQ WAS UNMONITORED THAT NIGHT. ACTIONS, OR LACK THEREOF: BEING A 'SITTING DUCK' FLYING AT 120-140 KTS AND BEING 'T-BONED' BY THE JET, I COULD HAVE DONE AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG TURN AND DIVED, BUT A TURN IN THE WRONG DIRECTION BY THE FASTER JET WOULD HAVE NULLIFIED THE EFFECT OF ANY TURN BY ME. THE JET CAPT WAITED UNTIL THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT TO TURN. THE CTLR DID NOT ISSUE VECTOR DIRECTIONS TO EITHER OF US, MAKING ME THINK HE WAS PERHAPS A TRAINEE. ALSO, THINKING BACK, HE NEVER SPECIFICALLY CLRED ME INTO THE TCA BEFORE GIVING ME INSTRUCTIONS.

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.