Narrative:

On departure climb off ewr runway 4L, our flight, large transport X, was assigned heading 060 degrees and 5000'. After reaching 5000' and while heading 060 degrees, ewr departure gave us a right turn to heading 120 degrees to intercept the teterboro 125 degree right. Just after receiving this vector, the controller revoked the right turn, asked us to reverse the turn back to 060 degrees and changed frequencys. After checking in on the next frequency, we were given a turn to the right that took us behind an medium large transport Y that was level with us at 5000'. Controller remarked that horizontal sep was roughly 2 mi and gave us climb clearance to 10000'. Believe situation occurred due to complexity of departure ground tracks/ATC sectorization and due to high density of traffic. Supplemental information from acn 84084: several attempts to contact 120.4 were blocked. After contact established, ny departure called traffic at 12-1 O'clock, same altitude, and issued an 'immediate climb to 10000.' as traffic was 'less than 2 mi,' we remained level as visual contact indicated we would pass behind traffic and notified ATC of such. We then received a reclrnc to 10000'. Suspect handoff to lga from ewr departure did not indicate our last clearance of 060 degree heading. Need a more positive handoff in this departure corridor to the northeast.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEP CTLR HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN ACR ACFT OFF 2 DIFFERENT ARPTS ON CONVERGING VECTORS.

Narrative: ON DEP CLB OFF EWR RWY 4L, OUR FLT, LGT X, WAS ASSIGNED HDG 060 DEGS AND 5000'. AFTER REACHING 5000' AND WHILE HDG 060 DEGS, EWR DEP GAVE US A RIGHT TURN TO HDG 120 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE TETERBORO 125 DEG R. JUST AFTER RECEIVING THIS VECTOR, THE CTLR REVOKED THE RIGHT TURN, ASKED US TO REVERSE THE TURN BACK TO 060 DEGS AND CHANGED FREQS. AFTER CHKING IN ON THE NEXT FREQ, WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO THE RIGHT THAT TOOK US BEHIND AN MLG Y THAT WAS LEVEL WITH US AT 5000'. CTLR REMARKED THAT HORIZ SEP WAS ROUGHLY 2 MI AND GAVE US CLB CLRNC TO 10000'. BELIEVE SITUATION OCCURRED DUE TO COMPLEXITY OF DEP GND TRACKS/ATC SECTORIZATION AND DUE TO HIGH DENSITY OF TFC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 84084: SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT 120.4 WERE BLOCKED. AFTER CONTACT ESTABLISHED, NY DEP CALLED TFC AT 12-1 O'CLOCK, SAME ALT, AND ISSUED AN 'IMMEDIATE CLB TO 10000.' AS TFC WAS 'LESS THAN 2 MI,' WE REMAINED LEVEL AS VISUAL CONTACT INDICATED WE WOULD PASS BEHIND TFC AND NOTIFIED ATC OF SUCH. WE THEN RECEIVED A RECLRNC TO 10000'. SUSPECT HDOF TO LGA FROM EWR DEP DID NOT INDICATE OUR LAST CLRNC OF 060 DEG HDG. NEED A MORE POSITIVE HDOF IN THIS DEP CORRIDOR TO THE NE.

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.