Picked up the wrong traffic when advised to maintain visual separation from medium large transport.

Attributes
ACN	83935
Time
Date	198803
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax artcc : zla
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 207 flight time total : 17736
ASRS Report	83935
Person 2
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Took off on runway 25R, FLIP #2 departure and cleared to 3000'. Departure said, 'climb to 2000', do you see aircraft 11 O'clock and 5 mi on loop #5 departure?' I said in sight and he said climb to 13000' and pass below or behind the medium large transport. He told the medium large transport our position and the medium large transport said we were in sight. At this time I realized I was looking at the quarter tail view of the widebody transport that took off before us. We never did see the medium large transport and there were no comments on the radio. Reinforces the rule: make sure you know what you're looking at, never accept a clearance you can't comply with. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: assumed the medium large transport had departed from the 24 complex and the medium large transport maintained visual sep during his left turn and climb. Confirmed he had identified the wrong aircraft as the reported traffic. No loss of sep occurred and figures the medium large transport was well above them at the time of crossing. Had recently checked out in the widebody transport and felt it could have been a factor in his not confirming he was looking at the reported traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PICKED UP THE WRONG TRAFFIC WHEN ADVISED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM MLG.

Narrative: TOOK OFF ON RWY 25R, FLIP #2 DEP AND CLRED TO 3000'. DEP SAID, 'CLB TO 2000', DO YOU SEE ACFT 11 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI ON LOOP #5 DEP?' I SAID IN SIGHT AND HE SAID CLB TO 13000' AND PASS BELOW OR BEHIND THE MLG. HE TOLD THE MLG OUR POS AND THE MLG SAID WE WERE IN SIGHT. AT THIS TIME I REALIZED I WAS LOOKING AT THE QUARTER TAIL VIEW OF THE WDB THAT TOOK OFF BEFORE US. WE NEVER DID SEE THE MLG AND THERE WERE NO COMMENTS ON THE RADIO. REINFORCES THE RULE: MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, NEVER ACCEPT A CLRNC YOU CAN'T COMPLY WITH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ASSUMED THE MLG HAD DEPARTED FROM THE 24 COMPLEX AND THE MLG MAINTAINED VISUAL SEP DURING HIS LEFT TURN AND CLB. CONFIRMED HE HAD IDENTIFIED THE WRONG ACFT AS THE RPTED TFC. NO LOSS OF SEP OCCURRED AND FIGURES THE MLG WAS WELL ABOVE THEM AT THE TIME OF XING. HAD RECENTLY CHKED OUT IN THE WDB AND FELT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN HIS NOT CONFIRMING HE WAS LOOKING AT THE RPTED TFC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.