2 same company B737 aircraft at sea departure off runway 16 on conflicting courses.

Attributes
ACN	546560
Time
Date	200205
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : sea.vortac
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon
Make Model Name	B737-400
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : elma 7
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 19500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	546560
Person 2
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Miss Distance	vertical : 1400
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

We departed sea on the elma 7 behind ab. Flight ab was turned at a point south of 5 DME to a heading of 310 degrees. Both aircraft were cleared to 9000 ft. I called out the traffic to my first officer and that flight ab was turning to 310 degree. I then said 'this doesn't look good' as we were in our turn to 250 degree on the elma 7, and that ab was given a heading back towards us. We asked for a higher altitude and were told to maintain 9000 ft and ab would climb above us. My first officer then replied that we were the higher aircraft. I maintained visual and continued the climb through 9000 ft to approximately 9400 ft as we received a climb RA. We began to return to 9000 ft, but were issued a clearance to 15000 ft and then continued the climb. I told the departure controller upon leaving the frequency that we had followed the climb RA to 9000 ft to avoid traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 SAME COMPANY B737 ACFT AT SEA DEP OFF RWY 16 ON CONFLICTING COURSES.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED SEA ON THE ELMA 7 BEHIND AB. FLT AB WAS TURNED AT A POINT S OF 5 DME TO A HDG OF 310 DEGS. BOTH ACFT WERE CLRED TO 9000 FT. I CALLED OUT THE TFC TO MY FO AND THAT FLT AB WAS TURNING TO 310 DEG. I THEN SAID 'THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD' AS WE WERE IN OUR TURN TO 250 DEG ON THE ELMA 7, AND THAT AB WAS GIVEN A HEADING BACK TOWARDS US. WE ASKED FOR A HIGHER ALT AND WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT AND AB WOULD CLB ABOVE US. MY FO THEN REPLIED THAT WE WERE THE HIGHER ACFT. I MAINTAINED VISUAL AND CONTINUED THE CLB THROUGH 9000 FT TO APPROX 9400 FT AS WE RECEIVED A CLB RA. WE BEGAN TO RETURN TO 9000 FT, BUT WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO 15000 FT AND THEN CONTINUED THE CLB. I TOLD THE DEP CTLR UPON LEAVING THE FREQ THAT WE HAD FOLLOWED THE CLB RA TO 9000 FT TO AVOID TFC.

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.