Narrative:

We were given taxi clearance from gate to 'taxi to runway 27 via taxiway a.' just prior to turning onto and crossing runway 23, ground asked us to 'verify' that we were asked to hold short of runway 23, we were never told that. I told him that we were not, but we will hold short of runway 23. Timing was so, that if we did, however, start to climb, we would have hit a piper cherokee departing off runway 3. As we finally approached runway 27, we were 'cleared for takeoff, runway heading.' 4000 ft assigned in clearance. Right after I made my 400 ft call, something caught my eye out of my far right window. It was a cherokee (same one that departed runway 5) at my 2:30 O'clock position and about 500 ft above. The TCASII showed him only 400 ft, then 300 ft above us. We were by so fast that I didn't even have time to react. No audio alert on TCASII was given. I was very concerned that neither tower nor ATC had told us about it. We were told instantly to contact moline departure. When we switched, I heard the tail end of departure telling some cherokee, 'traffic no factor.' now I was fairly irate with ATC. I asked the PNF to ask why we were not told of the traffic, yet the traffic was told of us -- seems like a B737 can evade conflict better than a small piper. ATC says that he 'missed that one.' he also offered a landline number for us to report it, if we wanted to. We thanked him for that, but asked him to instead. We said that he saw just as good as we did and we were fairly busy at the moment. He agreed. No other conflict for duration of flight. Flight was from lga-mli-dsm. I can't believe that moline tower would have the cherokee make a l-hand departure (downwind) from runway 5 and also clear us for takeoff on runway 27. We never heard ground, tower or ATC talk with them when we were on the frequency, or we may have learned his position. It may be, in my opinion, that the piper made a mistake and was supposed to make right traffic. I don't mean to point blame (maybe we were all a little at fault), but I feel that moline tower/ground should have done a much better job separating traffic, or just advising of traffic. We could have done just as good a job in a non controled/non radar environment! We were the only aircraft at moline the entire 20 mins that we were there -- with the exception of 1 piper.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 FLC HAD NMAC ON DEP FROM MLI.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN TAXI CLRNC FROM GATE TO 'TAXI TO RWY 27 VIA TXWY A.' JUST PRIOR TO TURNING ONTO AND XING RWY 23, GND ASKED US TO 'VERIFY' THAT WE WERE ASKED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23, WE WERE NEVER TOLD THAT. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE NOT, BUT WE WILL HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23. TIMING WAS SO, THAT IF WE DID, HOWEVER, START TO CLB, WE WOULD HAVE HIT A PIPER CHEROKEE DEPARTING OFF RWY 3. AS WE FINALLY APCHED RWY 27, WE WERE 'CLRED FOR TKOF, RWY HDG.' 4000 FT ASSIGNED IN CLRNC. RIGHT AFTER I MADE MY 400 FT CALL, SOMETHING CAUGHT MY EYE OUT OF MY FAR R WINDOW. IT WAS A CHEROKEE (SAME ONE THAT DEPARTED RWY 5) AT MY 2:30 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 500 FT ABOVE. THE TCASII SHOWED HIM ONLY 400 FT, THEN 300 FT ABOVE US. WE WERE BY SO FAST THAT I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO REACT. NO AUDIO ALERT ON TCASII WAS GIVEN. I WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT NEITHER TWR NOR ATC HAD TOLD US ABOUT IT. WE WERE TOLD INSTANTLY TO CONTACT MOLINE DEP. WHEN WE SWITCHED, I HEARD THE TAIL END OF DEP TELLING SOME CHEROKEE, 'TFC NO FACTOR.' NOW I WAS FAIRLY IRATE WITH ATC. I ASKED THE PNF TO ASK WHY WE WERE NOT TOLD OF THE TFC, YET THE TFC WAS TOLD OF US -- SEEMS LIKE A B737 CAN EVADE CONFLICT BETTER THAN A SMALL PIPER. ATC SAYS THAT HE 'MISSED THAT ONE.' HE ALSO OFFERED A LANDLINE NUMBER FOR US TO RPT IT, IF WE WANTED TO. WE THANKED HIM FOR THAT, BUT ASKED HIM TO INSTEAD. WE SAID THAT HE SAW JUST AS GOOD AS WE DID AND WE WERE FAIRLY BUSY AT THE MOMENT. HE AGREED. NO OTHER CONFLICT FOR DURATION OF FLT. FLT WAS FROM LGA-MLI-DSM. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT MOLINE TWR WOULD HAVE THE CHEROKEE MAKE A L-HAND DEP (DOWNWIND) FROM RWY 5 AND ALSO CLR US FOR TKOF ON RWY 27. WE NEVER HEARD GND, TWR OR ATC TALK WITH THEM WHEN WE WERE ON THE FREQ, OR WE MAY HAVE LEARNED HIS POS. IT MAY BE, IN MY OPINION, THAT THE PIPER MADE A MISTAKE AND WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE R TFC. I DON'T MEAN TO POINT BLAME (MAYBE WE WERE ALL A LITTLE AT FAULT), BUT I FEEL THAT MOLINE TWR/GND SHOULD HAVE DONE A MUCH BETTER JOB SEPARATING TFC, OR JUST ADVISING OF TFC. WE COULD HAVE DONE JUST AS GOOD A JOB IN A NON CTLED/NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT! WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT AT MOLINE THE ENTIRE 20 MINS THAT WE WERE THERE -- WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 1 PIPER.

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.