Narrative:

Clearance prior to takeoff was buchanan 6 with pitts transition, maintain 4000'. Travis approach contacted after tower turn over. Departing runway 32, cleaned up gear, then flaps, and accelerated to climb speed. Passing through 180 KTS with flaps up we began turn towards ccr VOR (right turn) and were told to contact travis departure on 119.9 as we passed through about 2000' MSL. At 2500' contact was made and travis immediately told us to maintain 2000'. We were not told to expedite or given a traffic alert. We arrested our climb at 2700' and began a descent to 2000'. At this time we saw an mlt Y at 3000' at our 10 O'clock, slightly above us. The controller seemed to freeze up. He kept repeating 'maintain 2000,' but never stated the urgency. He did not point out the mlt Y until long after we had him and did not once reference our descent to known traffic. If he had either stated, 'descend immediately to 2000' for traffic,' or, 'collision alert, descend to 2000',' or pointed out the traffic which was clearly known to him, the operation could have been carried out smoothly with maximum corrections being made to avoid a potentially hazardous situation. We were never close enough to the mlt Y to even call this a near miss, but in IMC the story might have been different.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT ON DEP FROM CCR STOPPED AT INTERIM ALT FOR MLT WORKING MIL TRACON, ACFT IN CLOSE PROX.

Narrative: CLRNC PRIOR TO TKOF WAS BUCHANAN 6 WITH PITTS TRANSITION, MAINTAIN 4000'. TRAVIS APCH CONTACTED AFTER TWR TURN OVER. DEPARTING RWY 32, CLEANED UP GEAR, THEN FLAPS, AND ACCELERATED TO CLB SPD. PASSING THROUGH 180 KTS WITH FLAPS UP WE BEGAN TURN TOWARDS CCR VOR (RIGHT TURN) AND WERE TOLD TO CONTACT TRAVIS DEP ON 119.9 AS WE PASSED THROUGH ABOUT 2000' MSL. AT 2500' CONTACT WAS MADE AND TRAVIS IMMEDIATELY TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 2000'. WE WERE NOT TOLD TO EXPEDITE OR GIVEN A TFC ALERT. WE ARRESTED OUR CLB AT 2700' AND BEGAN A DSCNT TO 2000'. AT THIS TIME WE SAW AN MLT Y AT 3000' AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK, SLIGHTLY ABOVE US. THE CTLR SEEMED TO FREEZE UP. HE KEPT REPEATING 'MAINTAIN 2000,' BUT NEVER STATED THE URGENCY. HE DID NOT POINT OUT THE MLT Y UNTIL LONG AFTER WE HAD HIM AND DID NOT ONCE REF OUR DSCNT TO KNOWN TFC. IF HE HAD EITHER STATED, 'DSND IMMEDIATELY TO 2000' FOR TFC,' OR, 'COLLISION ALERT, DSND TO 2000',' OR POINTED OUT THE TFC WHICH WAS CLEARLY KNOWN TO HIM, THE OPERATION COULD HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT SMOOTHLY WITH MAX CORRECTIONS BEING MADE TO AVOID A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. WE WERE NEVER CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE MLT Y TO EVEN CALL THIS A NEAR MISS, BUT IN IMC THE STORY MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.

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.