Narrative:

Departed gky approximately XA55, picked up IFR tower-to-tower about 2000 ft MSL to dal. I asked the controller (altitude was not specified in clearance -- only heading and squawk) what altitude I could have. He replied 'anything to 4000 ft.' I replied 'I'd like 4000 ft' (easier to spot dal) and was told to maintain 4000 ft. In less than 4 mins we spotted dal, and the controller cleared us for the visual, then switched us to dal tower. We had not yet begun our descent when tower called traffic 12 O'clock. It was VFR, but neither of us had previously seen the traffic. The moment he called the traffic we instantly spotted a saab commuter in a hard left turn. I acknowledged to ATC at that moment that we had the traffic (30-45 degree bank) and I abruptly nosed over and turned left. We were so close that our recognition light illuminated the underside of the saab. We missed each other by about 200 ft vertically and had we still been at 4000 ft, would have impacted horizontally. I don't recall any further mention of the traffic/incident with ATC. We proceeded to land. Once on the ground, I called the tower and asked to speak to the controller who handled us. He informed me that his airspace only went up to 2000 ft MSL and the saab was being controled by dfw approach/departure, and apparently 'got away' from them. So I surmised I was in dfw approach's airspace when the incident occurred but was being worked by tower. The tower controller was somehow inspired at that moment to call traffic for us. Had he not, it could have been worse. I have a considerable amount of time flying in dfw airspace -- dal, dfw, gky, ads -- perhaps 500 hours in the dallas area alone, all in learjets as PIC. I don't understand how that saab got so close without us seeing him, unless he was climbing directly at us and visually appeared as a stationary object. When I called the tower on the phone, he was surprised we hadn't spotted the traffic prior to his call. We were showing a recognition light (very bright light in the right wingtip) throughout the entire leg, which only lasted 6-7 mins. Both myself and my sic were well rested and alert, vigilant and experienced in learjet operations. My only suggestions on how others could prevent this type of occurrence is to be even more vigilant. I'm not about to lay the blame on some anonymous controller or accuse someone of laying out airspace improperly -- I do believe the buck stops here. I am thankful our tower controller pointed him out even though he was not (and neither were we, though we now belonged to tower) in tower's airspace. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said he was flying LJ25 at 4000 ft for about 2 mins and then switched to the dal tower. He said his aircraft is not equipped with a TCASII system. He also said he was about 5 mi southwest of dal, head-on a collision course with the other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEARJET ON IFR TWR ENRTE CLRNC FROM GKY TO DAL HAS NMAC WITH A SAAB COMMUTER OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Narrative: DEPARTED GKY APPROX XA55, PICKED UP IFR TWR-TO-TWR ABOUT 2000 FT MSL TO DAL. I ASKED THE CTLR (ALT WAS NOT SPECIFIED IN CLRNC -- ONLY HDG AND SQUAWK) WHAT ALT I COULD HAVE. HE REPLIED 'ANYTHING TO 4000 FT.' I REPLIED 'I'D LIKE 4000 FT' (EASIER TO SPOT DAL) AND WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. IN LESS THAN 4 MINS WE SPOTTED DAL, AND THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL, THEN SWITCHED US TO DAL TWR. WE HAD NOT YET BEGUN OUR DSCNT WHEN TWR CALLED TFC 12 O'CLOCK. IT WAS VFR, BUT NEITHER OF US HAD PREVIOUSLY SEEN THE TFC. THE MOMENT HE CALLED THE TFC WE INSTANTLY SPOTTED A SAAB COMMUTER IN A HARD L TURN. I ACKNOWLEDGED TO ATC AT THAT MOMENT THAT WE HAD THE TFC (30-45 DEG BANK) AND I ABRUPTLY NOSED OVER AND TURNED L. WE WERE SO CLOSE THAT OUR RECOGNITION LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SAAB. WE MISSED EACH OTHER BY ABOUT 200 FT VERTLY AND HAD WE STILL BEEN AT 4000 FT, WOULD HAVE IMPACTED HORIZLY. I DON'T RECALL ANY FURTHER MENTION OF THE TFC/INCIDENT WITH ATC. WE PROCEEDED TO LAND. ONCE ON THE GND, I CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE CTLR WHO HANDLED US. HE INFORMED ME THAT HIS AIRSPACE ONLY WENT UP TO 2000 FT MSL AND THE SAAB WAS BEING CTLED BY DFW APCH/DEP, AND APPARENTLY 'GOT AWAY' FROM THEM. SO I SURMISED I WAS IN DFW APCH'S AIRSPACE WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED BUT WAS BEING WORKED BY TWR. THE TWR CTLR WAS SOMEHOW INSPIRED AT THAT MOMENT TO CALL TFC FOR US. HAD HE NOT, IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. I HAVE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FLYING IN DFW AIRSPACE -- DAL, DFW, GKY, ADS -- PERHAPS 500 HRS IN THE DALLAS AREA ALONE, ALL IN LEARJETS AS PIC. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT SAAB GOT SO CLOSE WITHOUT US SEEING HIM, UNLESS HE WAS CLBING DIRECTLY AT US AND VISUALLY APPEARED AS A STATIONARY OBJECT. WHEN I CALLED THE TWR ON THE PHONE, HE WAS SURPRISED WE HADN'T SPOTTED THE TFC PRIOR TO HIS CALL. WE WERE SHOWING A RECOGNITION LIGHT (VERY BRIGHT LIGHT IN THE R WINGTIP) THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LEG, WHICH ONLY LASTED 6-7 MINS. BOTH MYSELF AND MY SIC WERE WELL RESTED AND ALERT, VIGILANT AND EXPERIENCED IN LEARJET OPS. MY ONLY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW OTHERS COULD PREVENT THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE IS TO BE EVEN MORE VIGILANT. I'M NOT ABOUT TO LAY THE BLAME ON SOME ANONYMOUS CTLR OR ACCUSE SOMEONE OF LAYING OUT AIRSPACE IMPROPERLY -- I DO BELIEVE THE BUCK STOPS HERE. I AM THANKFUL OUR TWR CTLR POINTED HIM OUT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS NOT (AND NEITHER WERE WE, THOUGH WE NOW BELONGED TO TWR) IN TWR'S AIRSPACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID HE WAS FLYING LJ25 AT 4000 FT FOR ABOUT 2 MINS AND THEN SWITCHED TO THE DAL TWR. HE SAID HIS ACFT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A TCASII SYS. HE ALSO SAID HE WAS ABOUT 5 MI SW OF DAL, HEAD-ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THE OTHER ACFT.

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.