Narrative:

While climbing out wbound on departure from molokai airport we went IMC as we passed over the mkk VOR at approximately 3000' MSL. We were in radar contact with hnl center and heard them issue holding instructions to an opposite direction air carrier twin at 5000'. As we leveled off at 4000' we heard center instruct the light transport to start descent to an altitude that was below ours (I don't recall what that altitude was). Center issued to us a traffic advisory about the opposite direction air carrier traffic, advising that he was at '12 O'clock' (I don't recall the altitude or the distance). We replied that we were IMC. About a minute later, we were issued a 'traffic alert' on the 12 O'clock traffic that was then descending through 3800'. Because we were still IMC we requested a vector around the traffic and center told us to turn '20 degree right' and we turned to heading 270 degree. Shortly afterward we broke out of the clouds and saw the twin light transport about 700' below us at 11:30 and heading on what appeared to be a converging course. As it turned out, on the vector we were given, we passed directly over the top of the opposite direction aircraft. Had we both been passing through the same altitude at the same time, we surely would have had a midair collision. Had we been advised to stay on our original heading of 250 degree, we would not have passed over the light transport, and if center had wanted more separation between the aircraft, it would have been better to have vectored us 20 degree to the left, to 230 instead of 270 degree. I don't know what the hnl center controller was thinking about when he gave us that converging vector, but it scares me to think that he could make such a dangerous error in an IFR/IMC environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

Narrative: WHILE CLIMBING OUT WBOUND ON DEP FROM MOLOKAI ARPT WE WENT IMC AS WE PASSED OVER THE MKK VOR AT APPROX 3000' MSL. WE WERE IN RADAR CONTACT WITH HNL CENTER AND HEARD THEM ISSUE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS TO AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACR TWIN AT 5000'. AS WE LEVELED OFF AT 4000' WE HEARD CENTER INSTRUCT THE LTT TO START DSNT TO AN ALT THAT WAS BELOW OURS (I DON'T RECALL WHAT THAT ALT WAS). CENTER ISSUED TO US A TFC ADVISORY ABOUT THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACR TFC, ADVISING THAT HE WAS AT '12 O'CLOCK' (I DON'T RECALL THE ALT OR THE DISTANCE). WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE IMC. ABOUT A MINUTE LATER, WE WERE ISSUED A 'TFC ALERT' ON THE 12 O'CLOCK TFC THAT WAS THEN DESCENDING THROUGH 3800'. BECAUSE WE WERE STILL IMC WE REQUESTED A VECTOR AROUND THE TFC AND CENTER TOLD US TO TURN '20 DEG RIGHT' AND WE TURNED TO HDG 270 DEG. SHORTLY AFTERWARD WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND SAW THE TWIN LTT ABOUT 700' BELOW US AT 11:30 AND HDG ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE A CONVERGING COURSE. AS IT TURNED OUT, ON THE VECTOR WE WERE GIVEN, WE PASSED DIRECTLY OVER THE TOP OF THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT. HAD WE BOTH BEEN PASSING THROUGH THE SAME ALT AT THE SAME TIME, WE SURELY WOULD HAVE HAD A MIDAIR COLLISION. HAD WE BEEN ADVISED TO STAY ON OUR ORIGINAL HDG OF 250 DEG, WE WOULD NOT HAVE PASSED OVER THE LTT, AND IF CENTER HAD WANTED MORE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE ACFT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO HAVE VECTORED US 20 DEG TO THE LEFT, TO 230 INSTEAD OF 270 DEG. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HNL CENTER CTLR WAS THINKING ABOUT WHEN HE GAVE US THAT CONVERGING VECTOR, BUT IT SCARES ME TO THINK THAT HE COULD MAKE SUCH A DANGEROUS ERROR IN AN IFR/IMC ENVIRONMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.