Narrative:

Night VMC sna noise abatement departure to 5000 ft assigned altitude. Tower directed switch to departure control during cutback procedure. Upon contact; socal departure control directed us to maintain 3000 ft. They then advised us of traffic at 3500 ft in our 2 O'clock position; a C152. We responded with the traffic in sight. Prior to altitude acquired; socal directed us to maintain visual and climb to 10000 ft. We dialed 10000 ft into the altitude selector and continued our climb. We were approximately 2.5 DME on the sna localizer and passing 2500 ft. Power was at the cutback setting and airspeed was V2 +20 KTS. We continued the climb and turned away from the traffic which was continuously in sight. In retrospect; maintaining 3000 ft and passing below the cessna would have been more prudent. I suspect ATC wanted us to continue the climb to facilitate noise abatement over the newport beach community. This was also in the back of our minds. Further; we wanted to continue the climb because of a similar event on a previous flight. On that sna departure; socal also directed a 3000 ft leveloff. Prior to 6 DME; and after altitude acquire occurred; we were directed to climb to 10000 ft. Selecting level change engaged N1; driving the throttles beyond cut-back. We allowed the throttles to advance to N1. Our thought was that the hold down was for traffic and we wanted to scan outside as we approached the coastline rather than dealing with the distraction of disengaging N1 and re-establishing cut-back power again. Consequently; on this subsequent departure; we had a bias to continue the climb in the noise abatement profile. Recommendation: an ATC directed leveloff out of sna is probably due to traffic. If socal departure issues a 'maintain visual and climb' direction; consider refusing the climb and allow ATC to maintain traffic separation. If altitude acquired has occurred and the crew elects to climb either: 1) select level change; allow full power and disregard the noise abatement profile (climbing in a familiar confign would minimize complications and allow for more thorough traffic scanning); or 2) select level change and deselect N1 and manually position the throttles to the cutback setting; or 3) select vertical speed 500 and climb out with the resulting reduced power setting until reaching 6 DME and then select level change or VNAV per the sna profile.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 PLT DEPARTING SNA RPTS VISUALLY CLRING TFC AND CLBING WITH CUTBACK PWR.

Narrative: NIGHT VMC SNA NOISE ABATEMENT DEP TO 5000 FT ASSIGNED ALT. TWR DIRECTED SWITCH TO DEP CTL DURING CUTBACK PROC. UPON CONTACT; SOCAL DEP CTL DIRECTED US TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT. THEY THEN ADVISED US OF TFC AT 3500 FT IN OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS; A C152. WE RESPONDED WITH THE TFC IN SIGHT. PRIOR TO ALT ACQUIRED; SOCAL DIRECTED US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL AND CLB TO 10000 FT. WE DIALED 10000 FT INTO THE ALT SELECTOR AND CONTINUED OUR CLB. WE WERE APPROX 2.5 DME ON THE SNA LOC AND PASSING 2500 FT. PWR WAS AT THE CUTBACK SETTING AND AIRSPD WAS V2 +20 KTS. WE CONTINUED THE CLB AND TURNED AWAY FROM THE TFC WHICH WAS CONTINUOUSLY IN SIGHT. IN RETROSPECT; MAINTAINING 3000 FT AND PASSING BELOW THE CESSNA WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PRUDENT. I SUSPECT ATC WANTED US TO CONTINUE THE CLB TO FACILITATE NOISE ABATEMENT OVER THE NEWPORT BEACH COMMUNITY. THIS WAS ALSO IN THE BACK OF OUR MINDS. FURTHER; WE WANTED TO CONTINUE THE CLB BECAUSE OF A SIMILAR EVENT ON A PREVIOUS FLT. ON THAT SNA DEP; SOCAL ALSO DIRECTED A 3000 FT LEVELOFF. PRIOR TO 6 DME; AND AFTER ALT ACQUIRE OCCURRED; WE WERE DIRECTED TO CLB TO 10000 FT. SELECTING LEVEL CHANGE ENGAGED N1; DRIVING THE THROTTLES BEYOND CUT-BACK. WE ALLOWED THE THROTTLES TO ADVANCE TO N1. OUR THOUGHT WAS THAT THE HOLD DOWN WAS FOR TFC AND WE WANTED TO SCAN OUTSIDE AS WE APCHED THE COASTLINE RATHER THAN DEALING WITH THE DISTR OF DISENGAGING N1 AND RE-ESTABLISHING CUT-BACK PWR AGAIN. CONSEQUENTLY; ON THIS SUBSEQUENT DEP; WE HAD A BIAS TO CONTINUE THE CLB IN THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROFILE. RECOMMENDATION: AN ATC DIRECTED LEVELOFF OUT OF SNA IS PROBABLY DUE TO TFC. IF SOCAL DEP ISSUES A 'MAINTAIN VISUAL AND CLB' DIRECTION; CONSIDER REFUSING THE CLB AND ALLOW ATC TO MAINTAIN TFC SEPARATION. IF ALT ACQUIRED HAS OCCURRED AND THE CREW ELECTS TO CLB EITHER: 1) SELECT LEVEL CHANGE; ALLOW FULL PWR AND DISREGARD THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROFILE (CLBING IN A FAMILIAR CONFIGN WOULD MINIMIZE COMPLICATIONS AND ALLOW FOR MORE THOROUGH TFC SCANNING); OR 2) SELECT LEVEL CHANGE AND DESELECT N1 AND MANUALLY POS THE THROTTLES TO THE CUTBACK SETTING; OR 3) SELECT VERT SPD 500 AND CLB OUT WITH THE RESULTING REDUCED PWR SETTING UNTIL REACHING 6 DME AND THEN SELECT LEVEL CHANGE OR VNAV PER THE SNA PROFILE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.