Narrative:

On departure from sna, the frequency (and airspace) was extremely congested. Socal was transmitting continuously and other aircraft readbacks were being stepped on and blocked. This made it difficult to communicate with socal and compounded an already busy noise abatement takeoff and departure profile. On initial contact with socal, they cleared us direct to the 'bhose' fix. Bhose was on our original departure, but was not depicted on the departure we had been issued, the musel 5. Our conversation with socal to clarify the clearance was difficult on the congested frequency. The aircraft preceding us and following us also had to do the same thing. Socal made a comment to the effect that 'sna hadn't got their clrncs worked out since they had put the ILS back in service.' the socal controller was working hard to sort it all out, but the airspace and frequency were far too congested for a safe operation. Too many aircraft were being released into socal's airspace for the controller to safely and efficiently work the traffic. We requested, and were cleared, direct to the 'hemet' fix on the musel 5 departure. We were climbing to our assigned altitude of FL190. At approximately 15-20 NM southwest of hemet, passing approximately 15600 ft, we got a TCASII TA. At approximately 16100 ft, we got a TCASII 'descend' RA. Shortly after the RA annunciated, we visually acquired a light twin aircraft while executing the RA. The traffic was never called out by the controller. We descended to approximately 15600 ft and resumed our climb after getting a 'clear of conflict' annunciation. We notified socal of the RA, but it took approximately 3-4 mins for them to acknowledge us. The controller told us a supervisor had been notified, but there was no other discussion or explanation. What is disturbing is that we attempted to contact the supervisor after landing, but no one knew anything about it. We gave specific location and time of occurrence, but after speaking with 3 different individuals, no one could help us. All in all, an already task saturated departure was compounded by an overloaded ATC sector. The technology in our aircraft helped us avert a potentially disastrous situation. Not all aircraft have the same technology advantage we have. The next occurrence may not end the same!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ON LGT ACFT CLBING OUT FROM SNA RECEIVES A TCASII RA TO DSND FOR TFC SHOWING 16100 FT. THE FLT DSNDED TO 15600 FT AND VISUALLY SAW A LIGHT TWIN ACFT.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM SNA, THE FREQ (AND AIRSPACE) WAS EXTREMELY CONGESTED. SOCAL WAS XMITTING CONTINUOUSLY AND OTHER ACFT READBACKS WERE BEING STEPPED ON AND BLOCKED. THIS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE WITH SOCAL AND COMPOUNDED AN ALREADY BUSY NOISE ABATEMENT TKOF AND DEP PROFILE. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH SOCAL, THEY CLRED US DIRECT TO THE 'BHOSE' FIX. BHOSE WAS ON OUR ORIGINAL DEP, BUT WAS NOT DEPICTED ON THE DEP WE HAD BEEN ISSUED, THE MUSEL 5. OUR CONVERSATION WITH SOCAL TO CLARIFY THE CLRNC WAS DIFFICULT ON THE CONGESTED FREQ. THE ACFT PRECEDING US AND FOLLOWING US ALSO HAD TO DO THE SAME THING. SOCAL MADE A COMMENT TO THE EFFECT THAT 'SNA HADN'T GOT THEIR CLRNCS WORKED OUT SINCE THEY HAD PUT THE ILS BACK IN SVC.' THE SOCAL CTLR WAS WORKING HARD TO SORT IT ALL OUT, BUT THE AIRSPACE AND FREQ WERE FAR TOO CONGESTED FOR A SAFE OP. TOO MANY ACFT WERE BEING RELEASED INTO SOCAL'S AIRSPACE FOR THE CTLR TO SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY WORK THE TFC. WE REQUESTED, AND WERE CLRED, DIRECT TO THE 'HEMET' FIX ON THE MUSEL 5 DEP. WE WERE CLBING TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF FL190. AT APPROX 15-20 NM SW OF HEMET, PASSING APPROX 15600 FT, WE GOT A TCASII TA. AT APPROX 16100 FT, WE GOT A TCASII 'DSND' RA. SHORTLY AFTER THE RA ANNUNCIATED, WE VISUALLY ACQUIRED A LIGHT TWIN ACFT WHILE EXECUTING THE RA. THE TFC WAS NEVER CALLED OUT BY THE CTLR. WE DSNDED TO APPROX 15600 FT AND RESUMED OUR CLB AFTER GETTING A 'CLR OF CONFLICT' ANNUNCIATION. WE NOTIFIED SOCAL OF THE RA, BUT IT TOOK APPROX 3-4 MINS FOR THEM TO ACKNOWLEDGE US. THE CTLR TOLD US A SUPVR HAD BEEN NOTIFIED, BUT THERE WAS NO OTHER DISCUSSION OR EXPLANATION. WHAT IS DISTURBING IS THAT WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE SUPVR AFTER LNDG, BUT NO ONE KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WE GAVE SPECIFIC LOCATION AND TIME OF OCCURRENCE, BUT AFTER SPEAKING WITH 3 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS, NO ONE COULD HELP US. ALL IN ALL, AN ALREADY TASK SATURATED DEP WAS COMPOUNDED BY AN OVERLOADED ATC SECTOR. THE TECHNOLOGY IN OUR ACFT HELPED US AVERT A POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS SIT. NOT ALL ACFT HAVE THE SAME TECHNOLOGY ADVANTAGE WE HAVE. THE NEXT OCCURRENCE MAY NOT END THE SAME!

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.