Near midair collision as commuter is on takeoff and VFR traffic approaching.

Attributes
ACN	187737
Time
Date	199108
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atw
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atw artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	187737
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight was cleared for takeoff and was advised of an inbound VFR aircraft that had reported 5 mi to the west. We departed runway 21 and decided an early turn to our departure course would be best due to the lack of radar at appleton. Based on the reported position of the VFR aircraft inbound we believed this would be the best way to avoid that aircraft. Our course was to the northwest. So we began a right turn at approximately 400 ft AGL. I was the first officer and was looking in the direction of our turn verifying that the area was clear. At that point the captain uttered an exclamation. I glanced ahead and saw the traffic at 11:30-12 O'clock and slightly above the horizon, directly in our path and heading right at us! The captain had already reduced power and had begun a diving right turn at which time the VFR aircraft also began evasive action. After resuming our departure course we asked tower where that aircraft had come from and he told us that he had no radar and had to rely on PIREPS. This near miss (we were within 500 ft) was a direct result of no radar at atw and poor pilot reporting by a VFR aircraft. Atw would definitely be a safer airport if they were equipped with radar in the control tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC AS COMMUTER IS ON TKOF AND VFR TFC APCHING.

Narrative: FLT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND WAS ADVISED OF AN INBOUND VFR ACFT THAT HAD RPTED 5 MI TO THE W. WE DEPARTED RWY 21 AND DECIDED AN EARLY TURN TO OUR DEP COURSE WOULD BE BEST DUE TO THE LACK OF RADAR AT APPLETON. BASED ON THE RPTED POS OF THE VFR ACFT INBOUND WE BELIEVED THIS WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO AVOID THAT ACFT. OUR COURSE WAS TO THE NW. SO WE BEGAN A R TURN AT APPROX 400 FT AGL. I WAS THE FO AND WAS LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF OUR TURN VERIFYING THAT THE AREA WAS CLR. AT THAT POINT THE CAPT UTTERED AN EXCLAMATION. I GLANCED AHEAD AND SAW THE TFC AT 11:30-12 O'CLOCK AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE HORIZON, DIRECTLY IN OUR PATH AND HDG RIGHT AT US! THE CAPT HAD ALREADY REDUCED PWR AND HAD BEGUN A DIVING R TURN AT WHICH TIME THE VFR ACFT ALSO BEGAN EVASIVE ACTION. AFTER RESUMING OUR DEP COURSE WE ASKED TWR WHERE THAT ACFT HAD COME FROM AND HE TOLD US THAT HE HAD NO RADAR AND HAD TO RELY ON PIREPS. THIS NEAR MISS (WE WERE WITHIN 500 FT) WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF NO RADAR AT ATW AND POOR PLT RPTING BY A VFR ACFT. ATW WOULD DEFINITELY BE A SAFER ARPT IF THEY WERE EQUIPPED WITH RADAR IN THE CTL TWR.

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.