Narrative:

On departing the gate at rsw we realized the controller was extremely overburdened. Apparently he was working clearance frequency, ground, tower, approach and departure frequencys. At the time of our departure, there were at least 4 or 5 air carrier aircraft waiting for departure and 3 arriving. Thunderstorms were in the vicinity northeast through southeast, and the ceiling low and ragged east of the field with some air carrier operations attempting to stay visibility for the approach to runway 24. Approachs were being accepted for runways 6 and 24 due to shifting crosswind. The west sector was essentially clear. We departed runway 24 after the takeoff clearance was given and the controller advised us of a twin commuter aircraft on a left base visibility for runway 6. At about 600' AGL our TCAS issued a traffic warning, soon to be followed by an RA to climb at an increased rate. The traffic display depicted the traffic as being above us, at our level, and then 200' below, at a close proximity to our position, which was apparently the commuter aircraft. After following the RA we cleared the approaching aircraft. This entire situation could have easily been avoided if rsw ATC had been staffed properly. The controller on duty did a tremendous job under the circumstances, but he's only human. This was definitely an unsafe situation. Had it not been for our TCAS, the situation could have had disastrous results. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: analyst called reporter to get more information on the controller working combined positions. The reporter states that he thinks the local controller was working everything, although he is not 100% sure. It is possible that an equipment failure occurred and the only position usable was local control. Reporter says he never saw the other aircraft. He reacted to the TCAS alarm by increasing climb and saw the other aircraft on TCAS pass below him. Targets merged on TCAS. The opp direction traffic situation was caused by the thunderstorm to the east of the airport. This encouraged takeoffs on runway 24 and lndgs on runway 6. Reporter was handed off to center by same controller. No near midair collision was reported to ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON DEP RECEIVES TCAS ALERT ON AN ACFT LNDG OPPOSITE DIRECTION. PLT FOLLOWED TCAS COMMANDS TO MISS OTHER ACFT.

Narrative: ON DEPARTING THE GATE AT RSW WE REALIZED THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY OVERBURDENED. APPARENTLY HE WAS WORKING CLRNC FREQ, GND, TWR, APCH AND DEP FREQS. AT THE TIME OF OUR DEP, THERE WERE AT LEAST 4 OR 5 ACR ACFT WAITING FOR DEP AND 3 ARRIVING. TSTMS WERE IN THE VICINITY NE THROUGH SE, AND THE CEILING LOW AND RAGGED E OF THE FIELD WITH SOME ACR OPS ATTEMPTING TO STAY VIS FOR THE APCH TO RWY 24. APCHS WERE BEING ACCEPTED FOR RWYS 6 AND 24 DUE TO SHIFTING XWIND. THE W SECTOR WAS ESSENTIALLY CLR. WE DEPARTED RWY 24 AFTER THE TKOF CLRNC WAS GIVEN AND THE CTLR ADVISED US OF A TWIN COMMUTER ACFT ON A LEFT BASE VIS FOR RWY 6. AT ABOUT 600' AGL OUR TCAS ISSUED A TFC WARNING, SOON TO BE FOLLOWED BY AN RA TO CLB AT AN INCREASED RATE. THE TFC DISPLAY DEPICTED THE TFC AS BEING ABOVE US, AT OUR LEVEL, AND THEN 200' BELOW, AT A CLOSE PROX TO OUR POS, WHICH WAS APPARENTLY THE COMMUTER ACFT. AFTER FOLLOWING THE RA WE CLRED THE APCHING ACFT. THIS ENTIRE SITUATION COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN AVOIDED IF RSW ATC HAD BEEN STAFFED PROPERLY. THE CTLR ON DUTY DID A TREMENDOUS JOB UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT HE'S ONLY HUMAN. THIS WAS DEFINITELY AN UNSAFE SITUATION. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR OUR TCAS, THE SITUATION COULD HAVE HAD DISASTROUS RESULTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ANALYST CALLED RPTR TO GET MORE INFO ON THE CTLR WORKING COMBINED POSITIONS. THE RPTR STATES THAT HE THINKS THE LCL CTLR WAS WORKING EVERYTHING, ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT 100% SURE. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT AN EQUIP FAILURE OCCURRED AND THE ONLY POS USABLE WAS LCL CTL. RPTR SAYS HE NEVER SAW THE OTHER ACFT. HE REACTED TO THE TCAS ALARM BY INCREASING CLB AND SAW THE OTHER ACFT ON TCAS PASS BELOW HIM. TARGETS MERGED ON TCAS. THE OPP DIRECTION TFC SITUATION WAS CAUSED BY THE TSTM TO THE E OF THE ARPT. THIS ENCOURAGED TKOFS ON RWY 24 AND LNDGS ON RWY 6. RPTR WAS HANDED OFF TO CENTER BY SAME CTLR. NO NMAC WAS RPTED TO ATC.

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.