MD88 crew and a dash 8 had less than legal separation in ZJX class east.

Attributes
ACN	526455
Time
Date	200109
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : crg.vortac
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjk.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjk.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9600 flight time type : 4918
ASRS Report	526455
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 4000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Air carrier X flight XXX left jax, fl, on the fri of sep around XA10 local. We were heading approximately 330 degrees for dublin, GA. We leveled at 15000 ft for traffic at 1 to 2 O'clock 16000 ft heading sbound. I established a visual and clearance was given to climb through 16000 ft while maintaining a visual. My first officer was flying. He selected VNAV and the aircraft began a slow climb. I was watching the other aircraft which did not appear to be moving on our windshield. I instructed my first officer to increase the climb rate. Shortly after that the aircraft increased in size rapidly. I disconnected the autoplt and climbed quickly through 16000 ft. The air carrier Y dash 8 did a slight left turn to pass behind us about 4000 ft to 5000 ft. Our initial perception was the aircraft was paralleling our course and would not be a factor. My expectations were to climb rapidly through 16000 ft. I did not relay this initially to the first officer, by the time I did we were behind. At the point of taking over manually I decided it was better to continue/increase the climb rather than try to level and then descend. If I had to do it again I would have remained below 16000 ft until after passing behind the other aircraft. If given the other aircraft's heading rather than general sbound traffic, situational awareness would be increased.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 CREW AND A DASH 8 HAD LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION IN ZJX CLASS E.

Narrative: ACR X FLT XXX LEFT JAX, FL, ON THE FRI OF SEP AROUND XA10 LCL. WE WERE HEADING APPROX 330 DEGS FOR DUBLIN, GA. WE LEVELED AT 15000 FT FOR TFC AT 1 TO 2 O'CLOCK 16000 FT HEADING SBOUND. I ESTABLISHED A VISUAL AND CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO CLIMB THROUGH 16000 FT WHILE MAINTAINING A VISUAL. MY FIRST OFFICER WAS FLYING. HE SELECTED VNAV AND THE ACFT BEGAN A SLOW CLIMB. I WAS WATCHING THE OTHER ACFT WHICH DID NOT APPEAR TO BE MOVING ON OUR WINDSHIELD. I INSTRUCTED MY FO TO INCREASE THE CLIMB RATE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE ACFT INCREASED IN SIZE RAPIDLY. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND CLIMBED QUICKLY THROUGH 16000 FT. THE ACR Y DASH 8 DID A SLIGHT LEFT TURN TO PASS BEHIND US ABOUT 4000 FT TO 5000 FT. OUR INITIAL PERCEPTION WAS THE ACFT WAS PARALLELING OUR COURSE AND WOULD NOT BE A FACTOR. MY EXPECTATIONS WERE TO CLIMB RAPIDLY THROUGH 16000 FT. I DID NOT RELAY THIS INITIALLY TO THE FO, BY THE TIME I DID WE WERE BEHIND. AT THE POINT OF TAKING OVER MANUALLY I DECIDED IT WAS BETTER TO CONTINUE/INCREASE THE CLIMB RATHER THAN TRY TO LEVEL AND THEN DESCEND. IF I HAD TO DO IT AGAIN I WOULD HAVE REMAINED BELOW 16000 FT UNTIL AFTER PASSING BEHIND THE OTHER ACFT. IF GIVEN THE OTHER ACFT'S HEADING RATHER THAN GENERAL SBOUND TFC, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WOULD BE INCREASED.

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.