Narrative:

Climbing out of lse we were cleared direct odi and told to contact ZMP. We checked in with ZMP through 3000 ft, climbing to 5000 ft direct odi. We were confirmed direct odi and cleared to 10000 ft. About 1 mi east of the odi VOR, traffic popped up on our TCASII showing our altitude, climbing, about 1/2 - 1 mi ahead to our left. There was haze and it was hard to see west into the sun. The first officer was flying and I told him to 'climb hard' as there was no RA from TCASII and just then a cessna called msp at 4500 ft over the odi VOR. On the TCASII the target merged with our aircraft while 200 ft below us. We never saw the traffic and ZMP said they never saw it in time. I don't know why we got no RA from the TCASII. Perhaps we were right on the threshold of an RA and the traffic was not displayed very long. Contributing factors were the haze and the condensing of traffic near vors. I believe if we had not been alerted to the traffic by the TCASII and not increased our rate of climb we would have come a lot closer to the aircraft. As we were avoiding this traffic, we climbed through a broken layer of clouds. I don't remember the exact altitudes involved, but one of my first thoughts was that this VFR target was not 500 ft below the clouds. Perhaps the cessna pilot had allowed the bumpy air to push him up higher than he should have and allowed his climb rate to near ours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TURBOJET ACR INITIATE EVASIVE MANEUVER DUE TO TCASII OBSERVED TARGET IN VICINITY OF ODI VORTAC UNDER ZMP CTL CLBING THROUGH 5000 FT.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF LSE WE WERE CLRED DIRECT ODI AND TOLD TO CONTACT ZMP. WE CHKED IN WITH ZMP THROUGH 3000 FT, CLBING TO 5000 FT DIRECT ODI. WE WERE CONFIRMED DIRECT ODI AND CLRED TO 10000 FT. ABOUT 1 MI E OF THE ODI VOR, TFC POPPED UP ON OUR TCASII SHOWING OUR ALT, CLBING, ABOUT 1/2 - 1 MI AHEAD TO OUR L. THERE WAS HAZE AND IT WAS HARD TO SEE W INTO THE SUN. THE FO WAS FLYING AND I TOLD HIM TO 'CLB HARD' AS THERE WAS NO RA FROM TCASII AND JUST THEN A CESSNA CALLED MSP AT 4500 FT OVER THE ODI VOR. ON THE TCASII THE TARGET MERGED WITH OUR ACFT WHILE 200 FT BELOW US. WE NEVER SAW THE TFC AND ZMP SAID THEY NEVER SAW IT IN TIME. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE GOT NO RA FROM THE TCASII. PERHAPS WE WERE RIGHT ON THE THRESHOLD OF AN RA AND THE TFC WAS NOT DISPLAYED VERY LONG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE HAZE AND THE CONDENSING OF TFC NEAR VORS. I BELIEVE IF WE HAD NOT BEEN ALERTED TO THE TFC BY THE TCASII AND NOT INCREASED OUR RATE OF CLB WE WOULD HAVE COME A LOT CLOSER TO THE ACFT. AS WE WERE AVOIDING THIS TFC, WE CLBED THROUGH A BROKEN LAYER OF CLOUDS. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT ALTS INVOLVED, BUT ONE OF MY FIRST THOUGHTS WAS THAT THIS VFR TARGET WAS NOT 500 FT BELOW THE CLOUDS. PERHAPS THE CESSNA PLT HAD ALLOWED THE BUMPY AIR TO PUSH HIM UP HIGHER THAN HE SHOULD HAVE AND ALLOWED HIS CLB RATE TO NEAR OURS.

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.