Narrative:

Our flight departed sdf runway 17R with an assigned heading of 190 degrees. Within 10 seconds of our initial check on with departure control, TCASII issued a TA. We were in a busy phase of flight right after takeoff and the voice was somewhat unsettling. Climbing through approximately 5000 ft MSL, we were able to visually acquire the conflict aircraft. The visual contact occurred about 5 seconds after the TCASII alert. Immediately after I saw the aircraft which was in a right turn directly towards us at the same altitude, an RA instructed us to descend. We were at the same altitude and approximately 1 mi on a collision course. The captain elected to maintain the present course and positive climb rate due to the fact that we were in visual contact. The TCASII then changed its mind and instructed us to 'maintain vertical speed' (approximately 2500 FPM climb). The conflict aircraft passed about 300 ft below us and 300 ft to the right of us. We queried the controller about his knowledge of the aircraft. He said he did not know about it, but later stated 'he's 1000 ft below you.' we responded by asking the controller to mark the tape. An investigation is under way. Supplemental information from acn 509871: our flight aircraft Y, sdf to cle. Takeoff runway 17L. Clearance: runway heading climb to 5000 ft MSL. On departure, sdf departure controller told us to turn right direct abb (nabb) VOR, maintain 5000 ft. Sdf had parallel runway operations from runway 17R. (First officer's (my) leg.) we questioned ATC because normally when departing runway 17L we're given a left turn direct abb VOR. While turning direct abb, we noticed another aircraft, aircraft X, level at 5000 ft off runway 17R. I initiated a descent (70 degrees approximately 4700 ft) and we missed aircraft by parameters listed above. Once clear of traffic, I leveled off at 5000 ft and continued flight. Problem arose when sdf departure gave us a nonstandard turn into parallel runway operations, during numerous departures. The problem was discovered by both aircraft, visually (aircraft Y) and via TCASII (aircraft X). Evidently ATC was very busy with numerous departures. As a result of task saturation, aircraft were vectored inadvertently into each other. As a flight crew, we could have 'insisted' on a turn away from parallel operations. ATC shouldn't have turned us into runway 17R departures unless absolutely positive of no conflicts. Perhaps late night operations (fatigue) played a role. Task saturation and situational awareness need to be improved. Sdf is an ATC training facility, I don't know if this was a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B763 CREW ON DEP, RECEIVED A 'DSND' RA FROM TCASII. HOWEVER, WITH TFC IN SIGHT THE CREW MAINTAINED A POSITIVE CLB TO KEEP VISUAL SEPARATION.

Narrative: OUR FLT DEPARTED SDF RWY 17R WITH AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 190 DEGS. WITHIN 10 SECONDS OF OUR INITIAL CHK ON WITH DEP CTL, TCASII ISSUED A TA. WE WERE IN A BUSY PHASE OF FLT RIGHT AFTER TKOF AND THE VOICE WAS SOMEWHAT UNSETTLING. CLBING THROUGH APPROX 5000 FT MSL, WE WERE ABLE TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE THE CONFLICT ACFT. THE VISUAL CONTACT OCCURRED ABOUT 5 SECONDS AFTER THE TCASII ALERT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER I SAW THE ACFT WHICH WAS IN A R TURN DIRECTLY TOWARDS US AT THE SAME ALT, AN RA INSTRUCTED US TO DSND. WE WERE AT THE SAME ALT AND APPROX 1 MI ON A COLLISION COURSE. THE CAPT ELECTED TO MAINTAIN THE PRESENT COURSE AND POSITIVE CLB RATE DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE IN VISUAL CONTACT. THE TCASII THEN CHANGED ITS MIND AND INSTRUCTED US TO 'MAINTAIN VERT SPD' (APPROX 2500 FPM CLB). THE CONFLICT ACFT PASSED ABOUT 300 FT BELOW US AND 300 FT TO THE R OF US. WE QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE ACFT. HE SAID HE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT LATER STATED 'HE'S 1000 FT BELOW YOU.' WE RESPONDED BY ASKING THE CTLR TO MARK THE TAPE. AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDER WAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 509871: OUR FLT ACFT Y, SDF TO CLE. TKOF RWY 17L. CLRNC: RWY HDG CLB TO 5000 FT MSL. ON DEP, SDF DEP CTLR TOLD US TO TURN R DIRECT ABB (NABB) VOR, MAINTAIN 5000 FT. SDF HAD PARALLEL RWY OPS FROM RWY 17R. (FO'S (MY) LEG.) WE QUESTIONED ATC BECAUSE NORMALLY WHEN DEPARTING RWY 17L WE'RE GIVEN A L TURN DIRECT ABB VOR. WHILE TURNING DIRECT ABB, WE NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT, ACFT X, LEVEL AT 5000 FT OFF RWY 17R. I INITIATED A DSCNT (70 DEGS APPROX 4700 FT) AND WE MISSED ACFT BY PARAMETERS LISTED ABOVE. ONCE CLR OF TFC, I LEVELED OFF AT 5000 FT AND CONTINUED FLT. PROB AROSE WHEN SDF DEP GAVE US A NONSTANDARD TURN INTO PARALLEL RWY OPS, DURING NUMEROUS DEPS. THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED BY BOTH ACFT, VISUALLY (ACFT Y) AND VIA TCASII (ACFT X). EVIDENTLY ATC WAS VERY BUSY WITH NUMEROUS DEPS. AS A RESULT OF TASK SATURATION, ACFT WERE VECTORED INADVERTENTLY INTO EACH OTHER. AS A FLC, WE COULD HAVE 'INSISTED' ON A TURN AWAY FROM PARALLEL OPS. ATC SHOULDN'T HAVE TURNED US INTO RWY 17R DEPS UNLESS ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE OF NO CONFLICTS. PERHAPS LATE NIGHT OPS (FATIGUE) PLAYED A ROLE. TASK SATURATION AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS NEED TO BE IMPROVED. SDF IS AN ATC TRAINING FACILITY, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS A FACTOR.

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.