Mdt on departure sights small aircraft. Evasive action. No traffic call.

Attributes
ACN	119702
Time
Date	198908
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : emi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	departure other enroute airway : bwi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	119702
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1500 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Communication with bwi departure, cleared RNAV direct mdt. Checking thunderstorms on radar around airport (40 mi away) looked up, saw blue small aircraft wbound (we were northbound) at our altitude. He/she was in a steep descent. I disconnected autoplt, turned right and brought power to idle. Other aircraft cleared us on left side and below. As I turned back on course and smoothly added power, we lost about 200' and trying not to scare passenger, as other aircraft was well clear by now. Bwi primary radar out of service (all summer, I think), even after I notified ATC, he had no target. When I called on phone to report the near midair, the man I talked to was looking over our controller's shoulder and told me that he never saw a target either. Question: what is an arsa doing without primary radar? Isn't that a contradiction in terms? NTSB would have said 'pilots failed to ...'. Aircraft go too fast nowadays for the VFR regulations. Although our visibility was 10+ miles, aircraft going 200+ KTS need more than 3 mi protection in controled airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT ON DEP SIGHTS SMA. EVASIVE ACTION. NO TRAFFIC CALL.

Narrative: COM WITH BWI DEP, CLRED RNAV DIRECT MDT. CHECKING TSTMS ON RADAR AROUND ARPT (40 MI AWAY) LOOKED UP, SAW BLUE SMA WBOUND (WE WERE NBND) AT OUR ALT. HE/SHE WAS IN A STEEP DSCNT. I DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT, TURNED RIGHT AND BROUGHT POWER TO IDLE. OTHER ACFT CLRED US ON LEFT SIDE AND BELOW. AS I TURNED BACK ON COURSE AND SMOOTHLY ADDED POWER, WE LOST ABOUT 200' AND TRYING NOT TO SCARE PAX, AS OTHER ACFT WAS WELL CLEAR BY NOW. BWI PRIMARY RADAR OUT OF SERVICE (ALL SUMMER, I THINK), EVEN AFTER I NOTIFIED ATC, HE HAD NO TARGET. WHEN I CALLED ON PHONE TO REPORT THE NEAR MIDAIR, THE MAN I TALKED TO WAS LOOKING OVER OUR CTLR'S SHOULDER AND TOLD ME THAT HE NEVER SAW A TARGET EITHER. QUESTION: WHAT IS AN ARSA DOING WITHOUT PRIMARY RADAR? ISN'T THAT A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS? NTSB WOULD HAVE SAID 'PLTS FAILED TO ...'. ACFT GO TOO FAST NOWADAYS FOR THE VFR REGS. ALTHOUGH OUR VISIBILITY WAS 10+ MILES, ACFT GOING 200+ KTS NEED MORE THAN 3 MI PROTECTION IN CTLED AIRSPACE.

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.