Narrative:

Captain flying departed runway 18L clt. Contacted clt departure. Initial SID altitude is 8000 ft. Departure control told us to expedite climb through 7000 ft to maintain 8000 ft. I acknowledged. Shortly after controller turned us left from runway heading to heading 110 degrees, which I read back. Passing 4300 MSL, controller asked us what our heading was. I answered that we were on 110 degrees assigned. He said to maintain our present altitude, with some sense of urgency in his voice. Captain leveled aircraft at 4400- 4500 ft and we noted an aircraft on TCASII 600 ft above us and about 3 mi ahead. I looked out and noted a jet which I believe was coming out from behind a cloud and crossed our path from right to left at almost a 90 degree angle. I asked controller if he wanted us to maintain 4500 ft or return to 4000 ft. I got no response. Shortly after, controller cleared us to climb to 12000 ft and turned us further left and cleared us to intercept the transition of departure. We (captain and I) found it interesting that we did not get a TCASII TA or RA at any point in the evolution. I would have thought we would have been within the parameters to at least get a TA. The controller was extremely busy. I wondered if I could have been of help to the controller if I had been paying more attention to the TCASII. Many times traffic is not displayed on TCASII and then just pops up on the screen when it is relatively close. I have come to distrust that TCASII is giving me the whole picture at all times. I can't say for sure whether the 5000 ft traffic was on screen for a while or if he 'popped' up. But if I had seen him on TCASII, I could have at least attempted to question the controller's directions of an expedited climb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEP CTLR TOLD RPTR EXPEDITE CLB THROUGH 7000 FT (SID 8000 FT), TURN HDG 110 DEGS, AND URGENTLY, MAINTAIN PRESENT ALT. THE RPTR WAS AT 4300 FT AND OBSERVED TFC ON TCASII 3 MI AHEAD AND 600 FT ABOVE.

Narrative: CAPT FLYING DEPARTED RWY 18L CLT. CONTACTED CLT DEP. INITIAL SID ALT IS 8000 FT. DEP CTL TOLD US TO EXPEDITE CLB THROUGH 7000 FT TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT. I ACKNOWLEDGED. SHORTLY AFTER CTLR TURNED US L FROM RWY HDG TO HDG 110 DEGS, WHICH I READ BACK. PASSING 4300 MSL, CTLR ASKED US WHAT OUR HDG WAS. I ANSWERED THAT WE WERE ON 110 DEGS ASSIGNED. HE SAID TO MAINTAIN OUR PRESENT ALT, WITH SOME SENSE OF URGENCY IN HIS VOICE. CAPT LEVELED ACFT AT 4400- 4500 FT AND WE NOTED AN ACFT ON TCASII 600 FT ABOVE US AND ABOUT 3 MI AHEAD. I LOOKED OUT AND NOTED A JET WHICH I BELIEVE WAS COMING OUT FROM BEHIND A CLOUD AND CROSSED OUR PATH FROM R TO L AT ALMOST A 90 DEG ANGLE. I ASKED CTLR IF HE WANTED US TO MAINTAIN 4500 FT OR RETURN TO 4000 FT. I GOT NO RESPONSE. SHORTLY AFTER, CTLR CLRED US TO CLB TO 12000 FT AND TURNED US FURTHER L AND CLRED US TO INTERCEPT THE TRANSITION OF DEP. WE (CAPT AND I) FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT WE DID NOT GET A TCASII TA OR RA AT ANY POINT IN THE EVOLUTION. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN WITHIN THE PARAMETERS TO AT LEAST GET A TA. THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. I WONDERED IF I COULD HAVE BEEN OF HELP TO THE CTLR IF I HAD BEEN PAYING MORE ATTN TO THE TCASII. MANY TIMES TFC IS NOT DISPLAYED ON TCASII AND THEN JUST POPS UP ON THE SCREEN WHEN IT IS RELATIVELY CLOSE. I HAVE COME TO DISTRUST THAT TCASII IS GIVING ME THE WHOLE PICTURE AT ALL TIMES. I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE WHETHER THE 5000 FT TFC WAS ON SCREEN FOR A WHILE OR IF HE 'POPPED' UP. BUT IF I HAD SEEN HIM ON TCASII, I COULD HAVE AT LEAST ATTEMPTED TO QUESTION THE CTLR'S DIRECTIONS OF AN EXPEDITED CLB.

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.