Narrative:

Our flight departed runway 26L in atl. Medium large transport Y departed ahead of us and we took off not long after he was airborne. There were scattered small trw's in the area. Departure control cleared us to 10000', then to 14000'. We maintained headings from 270-295 degrees while avoiding several cells. We overheard medium large transport Y, on northerly headings, question his basic routing as his destination was hou. Departure control asked us if we could take a quick 270 degree heading from our 295 degree heading. We could not due to a cell directly to our left, so he quickly sent us over to ZTL frequency. We entered some rough cumulus and requested higher from ZTL. Because of the rough air, we had our speed reduced and wanted higher as quickly as possible. I asked ZTL twice for higher with no answer. Then, 30 DME from atl near the 260 degree right, we were cleared to FL220. Just as we had started our climb, we popped out of the clouds and I saw medium large transport Y about 2 O'clock and slightly below on an intercept heading, perpendicular course. Before I could say or do anything, the aircraft passed directly under our nose approximately 200'. Our altitude was approximately 14200' in the climb. Medium large transport Y was at 14000'. We asked ZTL about medium large transport Y. He said departure control was working him. We commented on how close he was, but nothing more was said by anyone. Later communications with ZTL by phone confirmed how very close we had come to a disaster. They were still investigating, but controller error was indicated. I would say that this would be a prime example of where an on board collision avoidance system would have been a near lifesaver, rather than the luck which saved us on that day.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WHEN DEP CTLR TURNED ACR-MLG INTO ACR-MLG AT SAME ALT.

Narrative: OUR FLT DEPARTED RWY 26L IN ATL. MLG Y DEPARTED AHEAD OF US AND WE TOOK OFF NOT LONG AFTER HE WAS AIRBORNE. THERE WERE SCATTERED SMALL TRW'S IN THE AREA. DEP CTL CLRED US TO 10000', THEN TO 14000'. WE MAINTAINED HDGS FROM 270-295 DEGS WHILE AVOIDING SEVERAL CELLS. WE OVERHEARD MLG Y, ON NORTHERLY HDGS, QUESTION HIS BASIC ROUTING AS HIS DEST WAS HOU. DEP CTL ASKED US IF WE COULD TAKE A QUICK 270 DEG HDG FROM OUR 295 DEG HDG. WE COULD NOT DUE TO A CELL DIRECTLY TO OUR LEFT, SO HE QUICKLY SENT US OVER TO ZTL FREQ. WE ENTERED SOME ROUGH CUMULUS AND REQUESTED HIGHER FROM ZTL. BECAUSE OF THE ROUGH AIR, WE HAD OUR SPD REDUCED AND WANTED HIGHER AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. I ASKED ZTL TWICE FOR HIGHER WITH NO ANSWER. THEN, 30 DME FROM ATL NEAR THE 260 DEG R, WE WERE CLRED TO FL220. JUST AS WE HAD STARTED OUR CLB, WE POPPED OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND I SAW MLG Y ABOUT 2 O'CLOCK AND SLIGHTLY BELOW ON AN INTERCEPT HDG, PERPENDICULAR COURSE. BEFORE I COULD SAY OR DO ANYTHING, THE ACFT PASSED DIRECTLY UNDER OUR NOSE APPROX 200'. OUR ALT WAS APPROX 14200' IN THE CLB. MLG Y WAS AT 14000'. WE ASKED ZTL ABOUT MLG Y. HE SAID DEP CTL WAS WORKING HIM. WE COMMENTED ON HOW CLOSE HE WAS, BUT NOTHING MORE WAS SAID BY ANYONE. LATER COMS WITH ZTL BY PHONE CONFIRMED HOW VERY CLOSE WE HAD COME TO A DISASTER. THEY WERE STILL INVESTIGATING, BUT CTLR ERROR WAS INDICATED. I WOULD SAY THAT THIS WOULD BE A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHERE AN ON BOARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYS WOULD HAVE BEEN A NEAR LIFESAVER, RATHER THAN THE LUCK WHICH SAVED US ON THAT DAY.

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.