Close proximity air carrier-medium large transport GA-small transport 30 southeast of sax.

Attributes
ACN	158523
Time
Date	199008
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sax
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11500 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	158523
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On climb out being vectored in general direction of sparta VOR. Passing about 12000' a light twin (appeared to be in level flight) appeared at about 1-2 O'clock swbnd (we were heading roughly north) about 1 mi. He passed directly beneath us with something less than 500' sep. After the customary chorus of 'holy shits' we asked ny departure if he had seen this target and he replied that he had, but that it had either been a primary only or neg mode C (couldn't quite understand the 3 second explanation) and he was too busy to point it out. The controller then continued a rapid fire chain of instructions to the numerous other IFR aircraft on his frequency. We were soon handed off to center west/O further discussion. If these ny controllers are so overloaded that they don't have time to advise an air carrier that his target is about to merge with one of unknown altitude (and I believe that they are so overloaded) then it is time for more controllers to be assigned to this dangerous airspace. I really hadn't even intended to file this report, in fact I believe the vast majority of nmacs go unrpted, but a second near midair collision over long island about a month later prompted me to see the moral side of these reports. We have a problem and we'd better get it fixed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG GA-SMT 30 SE OF SAX.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT BEING VECTORED IN GENERAL DIRECTION OF SPARTA VOR. PASSING ABOUT 12000' A LIGHT TWIN (APPEARED TO BE IN LEVEL FLT) APPEARED AT ABOUT 1-2 O'CLOCK SWBND (WE WERE HDG ROUGHLY N) ABOUT 1 MI. HE PASSED DIRECTLY BENEATH US WITH SOMETHING LESS THAN 500' SEP. AFTER THE CUSTOMARY CHORUS OF 'HOLY SHITS' WE ASKED NY DEP IF HE HAD SEEN THIS TARGET AND HE REPLIED THAT HE HAD, BUT THAT IT HAD EITHER BEEN A PRIMARY ONLY OR NEG MODE C (COULDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE 3 SEC EXPLANATION) AND HE WAS TOO BUSY TO POINT IT OUT. THE CTLR THEN CONTINUED A RAPID FIRE CHAIN OF INSTRUCTIONS TO THE NUMEROUS OTHER IFR ACFT ON HIS FREQ. WE WERE SOON HANDED OFF TO CTR W/O FURTHER DISCUSSION. IF THESE NY CTLRS ARE SO OVERLOADED THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO ADVISE AN AIR CARRIER THAT HIS TARGET IS ABOUT TO MERGE WITH ONE OF UNKNOWN ALT (AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE SO OVERLOADED) THEN IT IS TIME FOR MORE CTLRS TO BE ASSIGNED TO THIS DANGEROUS AIRSPACE. I REALLY HADN'T EVEN INTENDED TO FILE THIS RPT, IN FACT I BELIEVE THE VAST MAJORITY OF NMACS GO UNRPTED, BUT A SEC NMAC OVER LONG ISLAND ABOUT A MONTH LATER PROMPTED ME TO SEE THE MORAL SIDE OF THESE RPTS. WE HAVE A PROB AND WE'D BETTER GET IT FIXED.

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.