Narrative:

Departing lax, noticed an air carrier Y airplane crossing in front of us, approximately 1 mi, about 300 ft above us. Tower gave us no forewarning, but at about 800 ft, as the aircraft crossed our projected flight path, tower warned us of an aircraft ahead at (he said) 1 1/2 miles. I called the tower and they indicated that this is normal. This is the first time I have had such a close crossing from an aircraft departing the north complex and strongly believe that this is too close. In my estimation, the aircraft was closer than one mile, and this should not be done without visual contact. Tower indicated it's ok if the tower controllers have coordinated it and they keep us in sight. Them keeping us in sight doesn't help us if we don't have each other in sight. Closer than 500 ft is within near mid air collision range, and intentionally putting two airplanes within this range is inherently unsafe. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that they deped runway 25R, and seeing the crossing traffic, began to level off to ensure they were comfortable with the existing spacing. The reporter was not comfortable with the supervisor's comment that 'they do this all the time', and so advised the supervisor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAX TWR CROSSES AN ACR FROM THE RWYS 24 COMPLEX IN FRONT OF A B735 DEPING FROM RWY 25R WITHOUT A TFC ADVISORY UNTIL THE ACFT FLT PATHS HAVE CROSSED.

Narrative: DEPARTING LAX, NOTICED AN ACR Y AIRPLANE XING IN FRONT OF US, APPROX 1 MI, ABOUT 300 FT ABOVE US. TWR GAVE US NO FOREWARNING, BUT AT ABOUT 800 FT, AS THE ACFT CROSSED OUR PROJECTED FLT PATH, TWR WARNED US OF AN ACFT AHEAD AT (HE SAID) 1 1/2 MILES. I CALLED THE TWR AND THEY INDICATED THAT THIS IS NORMAL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD SUCH A CLOSE CROSSING FROM AN ACFT DEPARTING THE N COMPLEX AND STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS TOO CLOSE. IN MY ESTIMATION, THE ACFT WAS CLOSER THAN ONE MILE, AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE DONE WITHOUT VISUAL CONTACT. TOWER INDICATED IT'S OK IF THE TWR CTLRS HAVE COORDINATED IT AND THEY KEEP US IN SIGHT. THEM KEEPING US IN SIGHT DOESN'T HELP US IF WE DON'T HAVE EACH OTHER IN SIGHT. CLOSER THAN 500 FT IS WITHIN NEAR MID AIR COLLISION RANGE, AND INTENTIONALLY PUTTING TWO AIRPLANES WITHIN THIS RANGE IS INHERENTLY UNSAFE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT THEY DEPED RWY 25R, AND SEEING THE XING TFC, BEGAN TO LEVEL OFF TO ENSURE THEY WERE COMFORTABLE WITH THE EXISTING SPACING. THE RPTR WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SUPVR'S COMMENT THAT 'THEY DO THIS ALL THE TIME', AND SO ADVISED THE SUPVR.

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.