Air carrier has less than standard separation with company aircraft in mxd to IMC.

Attributes
ACN	182946
Time
Date	199107
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 2700
ASRS Report	182946
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Inbound to cvg we were one of many aircraft deviating to avoid thunderstorms and rainshowers along the blunt arrival. ARTCC was busy with traffic; our clearance was to deviation as required then when able direct cvg. We were almost heading back direct cvg after deviation and had been doing so for about 5 min when we saw a company aircraft at 2 O'clock and less than a mi about same altitude heading opp our direction and in a turn away from us! A few seconds later we were IMC again as we had been almost the entire flight from about 100 NM from cvg. When we asked center about the traffic, we were basically ignored, although he was extremely busy a the time. Neither my first officer nor I could recall any xmissions given to another aircraft on our frequency for traffic avoidance, certainly it was a total surprise to us! We took no evasive action as the traffic was already in a turn away from us and we were heading in pretty much opp directions as well. It was so unlikely for us to have seen it at all due to the nearly constant IMC conditions. Remainder of our flight was normal and no further mention of the incident was made. Our company aircraft are awaiting TCAS and I know for sure that TCAS would've alerted us to this traffic!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAS LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH COMPANY ACFT IN MXD TO IMC.

Narrative: INBND TO CVG WE WERE ONE OF MANY ACFT DEVIATING TO AVOID TSTMS AND RAINSHOWERS ALONG THE BLUNT ARR. ARTCC WAS BUSY WITH TFC; OUR CLRNC WAS TO DEV AS REQUIRED THEN WHEN ABLE DIRECT CVG. WE WERE ALMOST HDG BACK DIRECT CVG AFTER DEV AND HAD BEEN DOING SO FOR ABOUT 5 MIN WHEN WE SAW A COMPANY ACFT AT 2 O'CLOCK AND LESS THAN A MI ABOUT SAME ALT HDG OPP OUR DIRECTION AND IN A TURN AWAY FROM US! A FEW SECS LATER WE WERE IMC AGAIN AS WE HAD BEEN ALMOST THE ENTIRE FLT FROM ABOUT 100 NM FROM CVG. WHEN WE ASKED CTR ABOUT THE TFC, WE WERE BASICALLY IGNORED, ALTHOUGH HE WAS EXTREMELY BUSY A THE TIME. NEITHER MY F/O NOR I COULD RECALL ANY XMISSIONS GIVEN TO ANOTHER ACFT ON OUR FREQ FOR TFC AVOIDANCE, CERTAINLY IT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE TO US! WE TOOK NO EVASIVE ACTION AS THE TFC WAS ALREADY IN A TURN AWAY FROM US AND WE WERE HDG IN PRETTY MUCH OPP DIRECTIONS AS WELL. IT WAS SO UNLIKELY FOR US TO HAVE SEEN IT AT ALL DUE TO THE NEARLY CONSTANT IMC CONDITIONS. REMAINDER OF OUR FLT WAS NORMAL AND NO FURTHER MENTION OF THE INCIDENT WAS MADE. OUR COMPANY ACFT ARE AWAITING TCAS AND I KNOW FOR SURE THAT TCAS WOULD'VE ALERTED US TO THIS TFC!

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.