Flight crew climbs into an near midair collision with known VFR traffic.

Attributes
ACN	201979
Time
Date	199202
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bdl
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11250 msl bound upper : 11500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw tower : jfk
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3750 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	201979
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	201987
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 250
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The first officer was flying the leg. We were cleared to 17000. We contacted boston center and he advised us to level at 10000 and called VFR traffic heading eastbound at 1:30 position 11500 ft. We called that traffic in sight and were cleared to 'reference that traffic climb to 17000.' I watched the traffic and notified the captain that it was 'constant bearing, decreasing range.' he acknowledged that and told the first officer to increase the rate of climb. The first officer increased the rate of climb. About 10 seconds later the traffic appeared much closer than it did when we had first sighted it. We were at 10900 ft and the captain instructed the first officer to push it over. The first officer performed a mild push over. Climb rate decreased from approximately 2000-1000 FPM. The aircraft continued to climb and the captain shouted 'level off' and pushed forward on the control column. We leveled at 11250 just as the commuter plane passed directly overhead. What caused the problem. We saw the aircraft and assumed that it was sufficiently far away due to its relative size in the windscreen. It was actually much closer than we thought because it was a twin engine commuter plane. The captain did not take adequate action to communication to the first officer his desire for him to level the aircraft at 11000 ft. This was way too close. It definitely would have been a mid air collision. We must have looked huge to that commuter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC CLBS INTO AN NMAC WITH KNOWN VFR TFC.

Narrative: THE FO WAS FLYING THE LEG. WE WERE CLRED TO 17000. WE CONTACTED BOSTON CTR AND HE ADVISED US TO LEVEL AT 10000 AND CALLED VFR TFC HDG EBOUND AT 1:30 POS 11500 FT. WE CALLED THAT TFC IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED TO 'REF THAT TFC CLB TO 17000.' I WATCHED THE TFC AND NOTIFIED THE CAPT THAT IT WAS 'CONSTANT BEARING, DECREASING RANGE.' HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT AND TOLD THE FO TO INCREASE THE RATE OF CLB. THE FO INCREASED THE RATE OF CLB. ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER THE TFC APPEARED MUCH CLOSER THAN IT DID WHEN WE HAD FIRST SIGHTED IT. WE WERE AT 10900 FT AND THE CAPT INSTRUCTED THE FO TO PUSH IT OVER. THE FO PERFORMED A MILD PUSH OVER. CLB RATE DECREASED FROM APPROX 2000-1000 FPM. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO CLB AND THE CAPT SHOUTED 'LEVEL OFF' AND PUSHED FORWARD ON THE CTL COLUMN. WE LEVELED AT 11250 JUST AS THE COMMUTER PLANE PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. WE SAW THE ACFT AND ASSUMED THAT IT WAS SUFFICIENTLY FAR AWAY DUE TO ITS RELATIVE SIZE IN THE WINDSCREEN. IT WAS ACTUALLY MUCH CLOSER THAN WE THOUGHT BECAUSE IT WAS A TWIN ENG COMMUTER PLANE. THE CAPT DID NOT TAKE ADEQUATE ACTION TO COM TO THE FO HIS DESIRE FOR HIM TO LEVEL THE ACFT AT 11000 FT. THIS WAS WAY TOO CLOSE. IT DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE BEEN A MID AIR COLLISION. WE MUST HAVE LOOKED HUGE TO THAT COMMUTER.

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.