Narrative:

I was climbing out of tulsa on a 160 degree heading. In my path was a towering cumulus rain cloud with several residual cumulus surrounding it to a height above my altitude. Departure control gave me a clearance to deviate and was calling traffic, primarily a VFR small aircraft at 9500' heading north. As I approached the cloud I was trying to decide which way to go around. Departure cleared me direct mcalester when able. That made the east side more attractive. The approach was easy and mild, the final obstacle being a small hold about 1/4 mi in diameter. Departure was calling the VFR small aircraft as I approached the cumulus. I was assuming the VFR small aircraft would stay VFR. I made my last deviating turn around the residual cumulus and turned toward the 1/4 mi hold. Just as I was entering the hold the small aircraft entered from the south side. We both had aimed for the center. I bunted and rolled right keeping the small aircraft in sight. He also did a mild right turn. We passed in VFR conditions with no vertical separation and with what I guessed a little over 300' lateral separation, my first officer guessed closer to 500' separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR MLG CLIMBING THROUGH A HOLE AND GA SMA OPPOSITE DIRECTION COURSE THROUGH THE SAME HOLE.

Narrative: I WAS CLIMBING OUT OF TULSA ON A 160 DEG HDG. IN MY PATH WAS A TOWERING CUMULUS RAIN CLOUD WITH SEVERAL RESIDUAL CUMULUS SURROUNDING IT TO A HEIGHT ABOVE MY ALT. DEP CTL GAVE ME A CLRNC TO DEVIATE AND WAS CALLING TFC, PRIMARILY A VFR SMA AT 9500' HDG N. AS I APCHED THE CLOUD I WAS TRYING TO DECIDE WHICH WAY TO GO AROUND. DEP CLRED ME DIRECT MCALESTER WHEN ABLE. THAT MADE THE E SIDE MORE ATTRACTIVE. THE APCH WAS EASY AND MILD, THE FINAL OBSTACLE BEING A SMALL HOLD ABOUT 1/4 MI IN DIAMETER. DEP WAS CALLING THE VFR SMA AS I APCHED THE CUMULUS. I WAS ASSUMING THE VFR SMA WOULD STAY VFR. I MADE MY LAST DEVIATING TURN AROUND THE RESIDUAL CUMULUS AND TURNED TOWARD THE 1/4 MI HOLD. JUST AS I WAS ENTERING THE HOLD THE SMA ENTERED FROM THE S SIDE. WE BOTH HAD AIMED FOR THE CENTER. I BUNTED AND ROLLED RIGHT KEEPING THE SMA IN SIGHT. HE ALSO DID A MILD RIGHT TURN. WE PASSED IN VFR CONDITIONS WITH NO VERTICAL SEPARATION AND WITH WHAT I GUESSED A LITTLE OVER 300' LATERAL SEPARATION, MY F/O GUESSED CLOSER TO 500' SEPARATION.

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.