MD90 crew and an air carrier B737 had less than legal separation in sct class east airspace.

Attributes
ACN	577303
Time
Date	200303
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-90 Series (DC-9-90) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	577303
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
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 13500 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

While flying departure out of sna, socal pointed out a B737, above and ahead. ATC had us turning right and said 'maintain visual separation.' it looked good to us but then ATC said 'hold your heading.' we did for about 2 -- seconds, but that had us climbing at B737. We started going right and I transmitted that we were turning towards pillo. ATC approved it, but we ended up getting an RA. Ours was 2 'descend' calls, then 'clear of traffic.' the 'descend' portion was so short that as I gently pushed forward, the 'clear of traffic' sounded and in fact we never actually descended. Since the RA event had ended, we just continued climbing and ATC started vectoring us. Not really an near midair collision, 2 1/4 mi and zero altitude difference. ATC should not have told us to maintain our heading when we were also to maintain visual separation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD90 CREW AND AN ACR B737 HAD LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION IN SCT CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING DEP OUT OF SNA, SOCAL POINTED OUT A B737, ABOVE AND AHEAD. ATC HAD US TURNING R AND SAID 'MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION.' IT LOOKED GOOD TO US BUT THEN ATC SAID 'HOLD YOUR HDG.' WE DID FOR ABOUT 2 -- SECONDS, BUT THAT HAD US CLBING AT B737. WE STARTED GOING R AND I XMITTED THAT WE WERE TURNING TOWARDS PILLO. ATC APPROVED IT, BUT WE ENDED UP GETTING AN RA. OURS WAS 2 'DSND' CALLS, THEN 'CLR OF TFC.' THE 'DSND' PORTION WAS SO SHORT THAT AS I GENTLY PUSHED FORWARD, THE 'CLR OF TFC' SOUNDED AND IN FACT WE NEVER ACTUALLY DSNDED. SINCE THE RA EVENT HAD ENDED, WE JUST CONTINUED CLBING AND ATC STARTED VECTORING US. NOT REALLY AN NMAC, 2 1/4 MI AND ZERO ALT DIFFERENCE. ATC SHOULD NOT HAVE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN OUR HDG WHEN WE WERE ALSO TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION.

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.