Narrative:

Our flight, air carrier X, was on a vector heading of 210 degree and cleared to 7000 ft. Cpr approach advised of traffic departing airport and heading northeast. Our TCAS picked up target at 12 O'clock 10 mi closing and 800 ft below. The target aircraft was climbing and with a TA alert was now 500 ft below our altitude of 7300 ft inside of 5 mi. I initiated a left turn and a climb as the target aircraft closed inside of 2 mi and passed to our right within 1/2 mi and 300 ft below us. All this maneuvering and throughout this event we were IFR in the clouds. We did not obtain a visual on this aircraft. I contacted the tower after landing and discussed the situation with area supervisor and a controller who was also present. The target aircraft had departed on a VFR flight plan. The target aircraft filed for an IFR flight plan at about the time that I landed on runway 03. Due to the maneuvering necessary to avoid the TCAS RA I was too close and high to continue an approach to runway 21 once in the clear. Instead I requested a downwind to the north and made a visual approach and landing on runway 03. This was a bad situation requiring a steep left turn and nose high climb to avoid the RA within 5-7 mi of casper airport and at 7000 ft MSL. I do not understand why cpr tower did not direct the departing small transport Y aircraft to vector north thus avoiding our inbound vector. I also must believe that small transport Y must have been IFR (in the clouds) as initially I was at 7300 ft and after the avoidance turn and climb must have passed 8000 ft MSL while small transport Y continued to climb and close to pass off my right within 1/2 mi and at an altitude of 300 ft on the TCAS scope! Supplemental information from acn 181617: I reported the target to approach. Now he was 8 mi, 12 O'clock. He appeared to be heading down our left side so we turned 10 degree to the right and leveled at 7500 ft. He was 600 ft below us. He then turned into us again and approach told us to turn left 10 degree. We did that. I switched the TCAS to the 5 mi range. Small transport Y again turned into us and was at our 12 O'clock 4- 1/2 mi, 500 ft below and climbing. We started to evade at 3 mi with a climbing left turn. Approximately 10 seconds later the TCAS set off a climbing resolution advisory (RA). He passed less than 1/2 mi to our right and 300 ft below us. (We were still in the WX (IMC).) we broke out of the WX at 6700 ft MSL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTSS BTWN INBOUND ACR AND DEPARTING SMT. TCASII ALERT.

Narrative: OUR FLT, ACR X, WAS ON A VECTOR HDG OF 210 DEG AND CLRED TO 7000 FT. CPR APCH ADVISED OF TFC DEPARTING ARPT AND HDG NE. OUR TCAS PICKED UP TARGET AT 12 O'CLOCK 10 MI CLOSING AND 800 FT BELOW. THE TARGET ACFT WAS CLBING AND WITH A TA ALERT WAS NOW 500 FT BELOW OUR ALT OF 7300 FT INSIDE OF 5 MI. I INITIATED A L TURN AND A CLB AS THE TARGET ACFT CLOSED INSIDE OF 2 MI AND PASSED TO OUR R WITHIN 1/2 MI AND 300 FT BELOW US. ALL THIS MANEUVERING AND THROUGHOUT THIS EVENT WE WERE IFR IN THE CLOUDS. WE DID NOT OBTAIN A VISUAL ON THIS ACFT. I CONTACTED THE TWR AFTER LNDG AND DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH AREA SUPVR AND A CTLR WHO WAS ALSO PRESENT. THE TARGET ACFT HAD DEPARTED ON A VFR FLT PLAN. THE TARGET ACFT FILED FOR AN IFR FLT PLAN AT ABOUT THE TIME THAT I LANDED ON RWY 03. DUE TO THE MANEUVERING NECESSARY TO AVOID THE TCAS RA I WAS TOO CLOSE AND HIGH TO CONTINUE AN APCH TO RWY 21 ONCE IN THE CLR. INSTEAD I REQUESTED A DOWNWIND TO THE N AND MADE A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 03. THIS WAS A BAD SITUATION REQUIRING A STEEP L TURN AND NOSE HIGH CLB TO AVOID THE RA WITHIN 5-7 MI OF CASPER ARPT AND AT 7000 FT MSL. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY CPR TWR DID NOT DIRECT THE DEPARTING SMT Y ACFT TO VECTOR N THUS AVOIDING OUR INBOUND VECTOR. I ALSO MUST BELIEVE THAT SMT Y MUST HAVE BEEN IFR (IN THE CLOUDS) AS INITIALLY I WAS AT 7300 FT AND AFTER THE AVOIDANCE TURN AND CLB MUST HAVE PASSED 8000 FT MSL WHILE SMT Y CONTINUED TO CLB AND CLOSE TO PASS OFF MY R WITHIN 1/2 MI AND AT AN ALT OF 300 FT ON THE TCAS SCOPE! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 181617: I RPTED THE TARGET TO APCH. NOW HE WAS 8 MI, 12 O'CLOCK. HE APPEARED TO BE HDG DOWN OUR L SIDE SO WE TURNED 10 DEG TO THE R AND LEVELED AT 7500 FT. HE WAS 600 FT BELOW US. HE THEN TURNED INTO US AGAIN AND APCH TOLD US TO TURN L 10 DEG. WE DID THAT. I SWITCHED THE TCAS TO THE 5 MI RANGE. SMT Y AGAIN TURNED INTO US AND WAS AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK 4- 1/2 MI, 500 FT BELOW AND CLBING. WE STARTED TO EVADE AT 3 MI WITH A CLBING L TURN. APPROX 10 SECONDS LATER THE TCAS SET OFF A CLBING RESOLUTION ADVISORY (RA). HE PASSED LESS THAN 1/2 MI TO OUR R AND 300 FT BELOW US. (WE WERE STILL IN THE WX (IMC).) WE BROKE OUT OF THE WX AT 6700 FT MSL.

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.