Narrative:

On aug/wed/01, I was the captain in an E120 on an IFR flight. Due to fires in the area the visibility was 10 SM in smoke. We departed runway with a left turn to the VOR forward visibility was further reduced as we were looking into the sun. The first officer was flying on the instruments and I was looking outside. Through about 5500 MSL the tcasi alert, 'traffic traffic,' sounded. I looked to the left and saw a lancair at 10:30 O'clock position high. I told the first officer to level off and started pushing on the yolk myself. The first officer then saw the aircraft and continued to push the nose over to level off. The lancair went by 12 O'clock position and 500 ft above us (as per the tcasi readout). We were climbing at least 2000 FPM at 180 KIAS. The lancair appeared to be in level flight. At the time we were still not in radar contact, and center didn't have either of us on the scope. Without an operative tcasi we probably would not have seen the other aircraft until it was too late.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E120 CREW HAD A TCASI TA WITH A LANCAIR IN ZZZ CLASS E.

Narrative: ON AUG/WED/01, I WAS THE CAPT IN AN E120 ON AN IFR FLT. DUE TO FIRES IN THE AREA THE VISIBILITY WAS 10 SM IN SMOKE. WE DEPARTED RWY WITH A L TURN TO THE VOR FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS FURTHER REDUCED AS WE WERE LOOKING INTO THE SUN. THE FO WAS FLYING ON THE INSTS AND I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE. THROUGH ABOUT 5500 MSL THE TCASI ALERT, 'TFC TFC,' SOUNDED. I LOOKED TO THE L AND SAW A LANCAIR AT 10:30 O'CLOCK POS HIGH. I TOLD THE FO TO LEVEL OFF AND STARTED PUSHING ON THE YOLK MYSELF. THE FO THEN SAW THE ACFT AND CONTINUED TO PUSH THE NOSE OVER TO LEVEL OFF. THE LANCAIR WENT BY 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 500 FT ABOVE US (AS PER THE TCASI READOUT). WE WERE CLBING AT LEAST 2000 FPM AT 180 KIAS. THE LANCAIR APPEARED TO BE IN LEVEL FLT. AT THE TIME WE WERE STILL NOT IN RADAR CONTACT, AND CTR DIDN'T HAVE EITHER OF US ON THE SCOPE. WITHOUT AN OPERATIVE TCASI WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE SEEN THE OTHER ACFT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE.

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.