Air carrier captain takes evasive action when sighting lights at 12 O'clock.

Attributes
ACN	250458
Time
Date	199308
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cmh
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9700 msl bound upper : 9700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cmh
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2300
ASRS Report	250458
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2300
ASRS Report	250453
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Flight cmh-las. Upon departure from cmh we noticed a light directly at 12 O'clock. It did not seem to move on the windshield. We watched it for 10-15 seconds before inquiring with departure control as to a possible traffic conflict. Before receiving an answer to our inquiry, we elected to take evasive action and placed our aircraft in a steep right bank. As the conflict aircraft passed I noticed 4 lights all on and it appeared to be a twin of some kind. All of our exterior lights were on at the time. TCASII was not available. What looked to us to be a STAR in a haze layer, very, very quickly turned into an aircraft on a head- on collision. I do not believe anyone in particular was at fault. I'm sure it must have happened just as quickly to the oncoming aircraft. I also believe that if it were not for our evasive maneuver we may very well have become another statistic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT TAKES EVASIVE ACTION WHEN SIGHTING LIGHTS AT 12 O'CLOCK.

Narrative: FLT CMH-LAS. UPON DEP FROM CMH WE NOTICED A LIGHT DIRECTLY AT 12 O'CLOCK. IT DID NOT SEEM TO MOVE ON THE WINDSHIELD. WE WATCHED IT FOR 10-15 SECONDS BEFORE INQUIRING WITH DEP CTL AS TO A POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT. BEFORE RECEIVING AN ANSWER TO OUR INQUIRY, WE ELECTED TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AND PLACED OUR ACFT IN A STEEP R BANK. AS THE CONFLICT ACFT PASSED I NOTICED 4 LIGHTS ALL ON AND IT APPEARED TO BE A TWIN OF SOME KIND. ALL OF OUR EXTERIOR LIGHTS WERE ON AT THE TIME. TCASII WAS NOT AVAILABLE. WHAT LOOKED TO US TO BE A STAR IN A HAZE LAYER, VERY, VERY QUICKLY TURNED INTO AN ACFT ON A HEAD- ON COLLISION. I DO NOT BELIEVE ANYONE IN PARTICULAR WAS AT FAULT. I'M SURE IT MUST HAVE HAPPENED JUST AS QUICKLY TO THE ONCOMING ACFT. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IF IT WERE NOT FOR OUR EVASIVE MANEUVER WE MAY VERY WELL HAVE BECOME ANOTHER STATISTIC.

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.