Narrative:

Even though the WX report was 6 mi visibility on the ground, the airborne visibility deteriorated rapidly to about 3 mi with ragged bottoms to the bottom of the 3500 ft overcast. We had been switched from socal approach to burbank tower. With this WX in mind, van nuys tower cleared a high performance meridian for a south runway departure VFR squawking 1200 with a left downwind to depart the area to the northeast. We were approaching the 3000 ft above van nuys restr, intersecting the GS, configuring the aircraft and completing the landing checklist. We were never given any traffic warnings from burbank tower. After beginning the approach on the GS, we began receiving standard increasing TCASII warnings from a target climbing directly at us from our 4:30 O'clock position. We could not see the traffic for a visual identify because of his clock code position. Once a full RA was received we responded immediately using the HUD. We followed the flight commands with full power. We received one increase command. The last distance we saw on the TCASII indicator was 200 ft. This incursion occurred at approximately 1500 ft AGL on GS. Once the RA was resolved we expeditiously returned to the GS and managed to meet the 1000 ft approach criteria for a VFR landing. Captain's thoughts: this was very, very close to a disaster. Van nuys tower made several mistakes, allowing a high performance aircraft to depart in marginal WX towards the mountains with 3500 ft overcast and allowing the aircraft to depart on a left downwind was a critical error. Burbank stated during a phone conversation on the ground that even though they knew about and were watching the departure on radar from van nuys, they didn't call out traffic because they thought it was going to pass behind us. During my 22 yrs at air carrier X I have had to aggressively maneuver the aircraft to avoid a near miss 4 times. All four have been either descending to or climbing out from burbank. This one was the closest yet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED NMAC AT 2200 FT ON FINAL TO BUR WITH TFC DEPARTING VNY.

Narrative: EVEN THOUGH THE WX RPT WAS 6 MI VISIBILITY ON THE GND, THE AIRBORNE VISIBILITY DETERIORATED RAPIDLY TO ABOUT 3 MI WITH RAGGED BOTTOMS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE 3500 FT OVCST. WE HAD BEEN SWITCHED FROM SOCAL APCH TO BURBANK TWR. WITH THIS WX IN MIND, VAN NUYS TWR CLRED A HIGH PERFORMANCE MERIDIAN FOR A S RWY DEP VFR SQUAWKING 1200 WITH A L DOWNWIND TO DEPART THE AREA TO THE NE. WE WERE APCHING THE 3000 FT ABOVE VAN NUYS RESTR, INTERSECTING THE GS, CONFIGURING THE ACFT AND COMPLETING THE LNDG CHKLIST. WE WERE NEVER GIVEN ANY TFC WARNINGS FROM BURBANK TWR. AFTER BEGINNING THE APCH ON THE GS, WE BEGAN RECEIVING STANDARD INCREASING TCASII WARNINGS FROM A TARGET CLBING DIRECTLY AT US FROM OUR 4:30 O'CLOCK POS. WE COULD NOT SEE THE TFC FOR A VISUAL IDENT BECAUSE OF HIS CLOCK CODE POS. ONCE A FULL RA WAS RECEIVED WE RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY USING THE HUD. WE FOLLOWED THE FLT COMMANDS WITH FULL PWR. WE RECEIVED ONE INCREASE COMMAND. THE LAST DISTANCE WE SAW ON THE TCASII INDICATOR WAS 200 FT. THIS INCURSION OCCURRED AT APPROX 1500 FT AGL ON GS. ONCE THE RA WAS RESOLVED WE EXPEDITIOUSLY RETURNED TO THE GS AND MANAGED TO MEET THE 1000 FT APCH CRITERIA FOR A VFR LNDG. CAPT'S THOUGHTS: THIS WAS VERY, VERY CLOSE TO A DISASTER. VAN NUYS TWR MADE SEVERAL MISTAKES, ALLOWING A HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT TO DEPART IN MARGINAL WX TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINS WITH 3500 FT OVCST AND ALLOWING THE ACFT TO DEPART ON A L DOWNWIND WAS A CRITICAL ERROR. BURBANK STATED DURING A PHONE CONVERSATION ON THE GND THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW ABOUT AND WERE WATCHING THE DEP ON RADAR FROM VAN NUYS, THEY DIDN'T CALL OUT TFC BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO PASS BEHIND US. DURING MY 22 YRS AT ACR X I HAVE HAD TO AGGRESSIVELY MANEUVER THE ACFT TO AVOID A NEAR MISS 4 TIMES. ALL FOUR HAVE BEEN EITHER DSNDING TO OR CLBING OUT FROM BURBANK. THIS ONE WAS THE CLOSEST YET.

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.