Narrative:

The departure clearance was 'fly runway heading, climb and maintain 5000'.' at 3100-3200' we entered the overcast. At 4500-4600' we were VMC on top. Tower, rather than hand us off to departure, held us on tower frequency to pass on a PIREP on icing conditions from an fgt that just landed at fairchild, a WX warning just issued by fairchild metropolitan, and a met watch for freezing rain within 50 NM of fairchild AFB. It wasn't until we were on top and leveling at 5000' that we were told to contact spokane departure control. When we switched over, spokane departure was asking for our altitude. At no time on departure either by tower or spokane departure were we advised of conflicting traffic on normal frequencys or guard channel. The entire evasive actions began at 4500' and were concluded by the time we first spoke to spokane departure. The following is my best recall of the events, actions, and communications that occurred. At 4500-4600' we entered VMC on top. I reduced power, rate of climb, pitch attitude from 10 degree to 5-6 degree in preparation to level off at 5000'. At the same time I started clearing from my left when I saw the other aircraft (type and altitude unknown) slightly high and about 1 mi away at 10 O'clock on an intercepting course. Keeping the other aircraft visual I leveled at 5000' but only for a moment. The other aircraft did not change heading and now appeared co-altitude. All that was visible of the other aircraft were its wing-mounted landing lights and navigation lights. No other type of lighting was observed nor the type of aircraft. With the other aircraft still approaching at what appeared as co-altitude and still listening to tower's WX reports, I decided to take evasive actions and remain VMC. We added power, started a right climbing turn to climb visually above and away from the other aircraft. At 5500' the other aircraft appeared below our altitude and passing off the left and behind us at about 1/2 mi. I reduced power and leveled at 5700' heading about 270. The other aircraft seeing us taking evasive actions, turned right. At this time we had established contact with spokane departure and advised him of our altitude and actions. Spokane also asked the other aircraft if they were still at 6000'. The other aircraft reported they were still at 6000' even though they appeared lower than us. Clear of the other aircraft I began a descent to 5000' and a left turn back to runway heading and course. Recommendation: tower should not have delayed switching us over to departure when there was conflicting traffic on departure just outside its controled airspace. Departure control should have used guard frequency to advise us of the traffic conflict when he failed to contact us on departure frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MILACFT OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO PASS CLEAR OF THE ACFT.

Narrative: THE DEP CLRNC WAS 'FLY RWY HDG, CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 5000'.' AT 3100-3200' WE ENTERED THE OVERCAST. AT 4500-4600' WE WERE VMC ON TOP. TWR, RATHER THAN HAND US OFF TO DEP, HELD US ON TWR FREQ TO PASS ON A PIREP ON ICING CONDITIONS FROM AN FGT THAT JUST LANDED AT FAIRCHILD, A WX WARNING JUST ISSUED BY FAIRCHILD METRO, AND A MET WATCH FOR FREEZING RAIN WITHIN 50 NM OF FAIRCHILD AFB. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE WERE ON TOP AND LEVELING AT 5000' THAT WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT SPOKANE DEP CTL. WHEN WE SWITCHED OVER, SPOKANE DEP WAS ASKING FOR OUR ALT. AT NO TIME ON DEP EITHER BY TWR OR SPOKANE DEP WERE WE ADVISED OF CONFLICTING TFC ON NORMAL FREQS OR GUARD CHANNEL. THE ENTIRE EVASIVE ACTIONS BEGAN AT 4500' AND WERE CONCLUDED BY THE TIME WE FIRST SPOKE TO SPOKANE DEP. THE FOLLOWING IS MY BEST RECALL OF THE EVENTS, ACTIONS, AND COMS THAT OCCURRED. AT 4500-4600' WE ENTERED VMC ON TOP. I REDUCED POWER, RATE OF CLIMB, PITCH ATTITUDE FROM 10 DEG TO 5-6 DEG IN PREPARATION TO LEVEL OFF AT 5000'. AT THE SAME TIME I STARTED CLEARING FROM MY LEFT WHEN I SAW THE OTHER ACFT (TYPE AND ALT UNKNOWN) SLIGHTLY HIGH AND ABOUT 1 MI AWAY AT 10 O'CLOCK ON AN INTERCEPTING COURSE. KEEPING THE OTHER ACFT VISUAL I LEVELED AT 5000' BUT ONLY FOR A MOMENT. THE OTHER ACFT DID NOT CHANGE HDG AND NOW APPEARED CO-ALT. ALL THAT WAS VISIBLE OF THE OTHER ACFT WERE ITS WING-MOUNTED LNDG LIGHTS AND NAVIGATION LIGHTS. NO OTHER TYPE OF LIGHTING WAS OBSERVED NOR THE TYPE OF ACFT. WITH THE OTHER ACFT STILL APCHING AT WHAT APPEARED AS CO-ALT AND STILL LISTENING TO TWR'S WX REPORTS, I DECIDED TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTIONS AND REMAIN VMC. WE ADDED POWER, STARTED A RIGHT CLIMBING TURN TO CLIMB VISUALLY ABOVE AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER ACFT. AT 5500' THE OTHER ACFT APPEARED BELOW OUR ALT AND PASSING OFF THE LEFT AND BEHIND US AT ABOUT 1/2 MI. I REDUCED POWER AND LEVELED AT 5700' HDG ABOUT 270. THE OTHER ACFT SEEING US TAKING EVASIVE ACTIONS, TURNED RIGHT. AT THIS TIME WE HAD ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH SPOKANE DEP AND ADVISED HIM OF OUR ALT AND ACTIONS. SPOKANE ALSO ASKED THE OTHER ACFT IF THEY WERE STILL AT 6000'. THE OTHER ACFT REPORTED THEY WERE STILL AT 6000' EVEN THOUGH THEY APPEARED LOWER THAN US. CLEAR OF THE OTHER ACFT I BEGAN A DSCNT TO 5000' AND A LEFT TURN BACK TO RWY HDG AND COURSE. RECOMMENDATION: TWR SHOULD NOT HAVE DELAYED SWITCHING US OVER TO DEP WHEN THERE WAS CONFLICTING TFC ON DEP JUST OUTSIDE ITS CTLED AIRSPACE. DEP CTL SHOULD HAVE USED GUARD FREQ TO ADVISE US OF THE TFC CONFLICT WHEN HE FAILED TO CONTACT US ON DEP FREQ.

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.