Pilot vectored into flight path of a departing aircraft resulted in a near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	431203
Time
Date	199903
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dal.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1550 flight time type : 20
ASRS Report	431203
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 400 vertical : 150
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

After taking off in rockwall, an airport on the east side of dallas, tx, we climbed to 3500 ft MSL and contacted regional approach on 125.2. We had planned to circle downtown dallas and afterwards fly over dfw airport back to fort worth. After we made the request with regional approach to circle downtown, we were handed over to dallas love approach, who told us to fly direct to downtown dallas and descend down to 2000 ft MSL. We passed downtown dallas on the north side and started a turn to the left to start the orbit. On a heading of approximately 150 degrees we were asked by love approach to make a right turn to heading 360 degrees because a B737 was taking off towards the south out of dallas love. We complied with the instructions and promptly started a standard rate turn to the right. While I was turning the airplane, we spotted dallas love field and wondered why we would have to turn towards the airport to avoid traffic. But before I could ask approach, they came back to me to tell me that I had to turn right to 360 degree heading. I informed them that we were already established in a right turn and that we experienced a strong drift due to strong winds (190 degrees at 33 KTS). We spotted the B737 on our 2-3 O'clock position. Now the controller was informing (screaming) us to turn right, which would have made us turn directly into the B737, labored the right turn and turned sharp to the left to avoid the traffic. I do not know why we were requested to turn right in the first place, since we were expected to stay east anyway. That I found out later. A turn to the left which would have been shorter distance would not have caused this problem in my opinion, or a turn away from the airport instead of towards it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT VECTORED INTO FLT PATH OF A DEPARTING ACFT RESULTED IN A NMAC.

Narrative: AFTER TAKING OFF IN ROCKWALL, AN ARPT ON THE E SIDE OF DALLAS, TX, WE CLBED TO 3500 FT MSL AND CONTACTED REGIONAL APCH ON 125.2. WE HAD PLANNED TO CIRCLE DOWNTOWN DALLAS AND AFTERWARDS FLY OVER DFW ARPT BACK TO FORT WORTH. AFTER WE MADE THE REQUEST WITH REGIONAL APCH TO CIRCLE DOWNTOWN, WE WERE HANDED OVER TO DALLAS LOVE APCH, WHO TOLD US TO FLY DIRECT TO DOWNTOWN DALLAS AND DSND DOWN TO 2000 FT MSL. WE PASSED DOWNTOWN DALLAS ON THE N SIDE AND STARTED A TURN TO THE L TO START THE ORBIT. ON A HDG OF APPROX 150 DEGS WE WERE ASKED BY LOVE APCH TO MAKE A R TURN TO HDG 360 DEGS BECAUSE A B737 WAS TAKING OFF TOWARDS THE S OUT OF DALLAS LOVE. WE COMPLIED WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS AND PROMPTLY STARTED A STANDARD RATE TURN TO THE R. WHILE I WAS TURNING THE AIRPLANE, WE SPOTTED DALLAS LOVE FIELD AND WONDERED WHY WE WOULD HAVE TO TURN TOWARDS THE ARPT TO AVOID TFC. BUT BEFORE I COULD ASK APCH, THEY CAME BACK TO ME TO TELL ME THAT I HAD TO TURN R TO 360 DEG HDG. I INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERE ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN A R TURN AND THAT WE EXPERIENCED A STRONG DRIFT DUE TO STRONG WINDS (190 DEGS AT 33 KTS). WE SPOTTED THE B737 ON OUR 2-3 O'CLOCK POS. NOW THE CTLR WAS INFORMING (SCREAMING) US TO TURN R, WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE US TURN DIRECTLY INTO THE B737, LABORED THE R TURN AND TURNED SHARP TO THE L TO AVOID THE TFC. I DO NOT KNOW WHY WE WERE REQUESTED TO TURN R IN THE FIRST PLACE, SINCE WE WERE EXPECTED TO STAY E ANYWAY. THAT I FOUND OUT LATER. A TURN TO THE L WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN SHORTER DISTANCE WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THIS PROB IN MY OPINION, OR A TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT INSTEAD OF TOWARDS IT.

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.