Medium large transport was cleared to climb visually after the wrong aircraft was pointed out.

Attributes
ACN	92039
Time
Date	198808
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	92039
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Departed mdw en route det, level 5000', heading 110 degrees. Departure advised traffic 12 O'clock, 2 mi, turning nebnd. We saw traffic. It was moving from right to left and clearing. We advised we could climb visually. Approved by ATC. About 1 min later (with advised aircraft clearing at 10:30, 2-4 mi, first officer observed traffic at 3 O'clock, slightly high about 1 mi from us. We turned away and leveled off and told departure we had been looking at wrong aircraft. Widebody transport acknowledged our presence. We weren't too close, but could have been problem if we had climbed up directly underneath him. I felt we were specific in identify of aircraft, but apparently not. ATC's call was nowhere near aircraft actual position, plus they should have observed all 3 aircraft since we were all close. They could have then queried us further before allowing visual climb.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG WAS CLEARED TO CLIMB VISUALLY AFTER THE WRONG ACFT WAS POINTED OUT.

Narrative: DEPARTED MDW ENRTE DET, LEVEL 5000', HDG 110 DEGS. DEP ADVISED TFC 12 O'CLOCK, 2 MI, TURNING NEBND. WE SAW TFC. IT WAS MOVING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AND CLRING. WE ADVISED WE COULD CLB VISUALLY. APPROVED BY ATC. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER (WITH ADVISED ACFT CLRING AT 10:30, 2-4 MI, F/O OBSERVED TFC AT 3 O'CLOCK, SLIGHTLY HIGH ABOUT 1 MI FROM US. WE TURNED AWAY AND LEVELED OFF AND TOLD DEP WE HAD BEEN LOOKING AT WRONG ACFT. WDB ACKNOWLEDGED OUR PRESENCE. WE WEREN'T TOO CLOSE, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN PROB IF WE HAD CLBED UP DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH HIM. I FELT WE WERE SPECIFIC IN IDENT OF ACFT, BUT APPARENTLY NOT. ATC'S CALL WAS NOWHERE NEAR ACFT ACTUAL POS, PLUS THEY SHOULD HAVE OBSERVED ALL 3 ACFT SINCE WE WERE ALL CLOSE. THEY COULD HAVE THEN QUERIED US FURTHER BEFORE ALLOWING VISUAL CLB.

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.