Narrative:

The climb out from sdf en route to dfw was through an area of scattered twring cumulus. Easy to circumvent with clear skies and good visibility in between the cells. Passing through approximately 22000 ft I spotted a red/white bizjet at 1 O'clock, closing. It was approximately 800-1000 ft above and crossing back to our 7 O'clock position. The first officer checked our TCASII as soon as I called the bogey but there was no return. We reported it immediately to ZID and they were baffled when they could not locate the intruder. They requested I phone them, which I did. This incident was not a near miss but was a definite breach of safety and could have been fatal had I been higher into the climb. I have had 2 conversations with a mr. X from ZID. He went through the tapes of the area and was not able to locate any possible intruder. The aircraft obviously had the transponder off and we were operating in an area where there is no radar ability to pick up primary only targets. In 33 yrs of flying I have obviously been lulled into a false sense of security thinking that I am being guaranteed, if not separation, at least knowledge of aircraft threatening my airspace. The advisory calls of airway traffic at different altitudes other than my own is of no significance to me but even primary targets crossing my track gets my attention. The coverage from those secondary, fill-in radar sites must be upgraded before we can claim airway safety. Supplemental information from acn 279443: climbing through FL220, cleared to FL280, a bizjet, possibly a falcon, appeared at our 1 O'clock position at 500-1000 ft above us at 1/2 NM horizontal separation traveling southeast. It was a white jet with winglets and had red stripes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

Narrative: THE CLBOUT FROM SDF ENRTE TO DFW WAS THROUGH AN AREA OF SCATTERED TWRING CUMULUS. EASY TO CIRCUMVENT WITH CLR SKIES AND GOOD VISIBILITY IN BTWN THE CELLS. PASSING THROUGH APPROX 22000 FT I SPOTTED A RED/WHITE BIZJET AT 1 O'CLOCK, CLOSING. IT WAS APPROX 800-1000 FT ABOVE AND XING BACK TO OUR 7 O'CLOCK POS. THE FO CHKED OUR TCASII AS SOON AS I CALLED THE BOGEY BUT THERE WAS NO RETURN. WE RPTED IT IMMEDIATELY TO ZID AND THEY WERE BAFFLED WHEN THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE INTRUDER. THEY REQUESTED I PHONE THEM, WHICH I DID. THIS INCIDENT WAS NOT A NEAR MISS BUT WAS A DEFINITE BREACH OF SAFETY AND COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL HAD I BEEN HIGHER INTO THE CLB. I HAVE HAD 2 CONVERSATIONS WITH A MR. X FROM ZID. HE WENT THROUGH THE TAPES OF THE AREA AND WAS NOT ABLE TO LOCATE ANY POSSIBLE INTRUDER. THE ACFT OBVIOUSLY HAD THE XPONDER OFF AND WE WERE OPERATING IN AN AREA WHERE THERE IS NO RADAR ABILITY TO PICK UP PRIMARY ONLY TARGETS. IN 33 YRS OF FLYING I HAVE OBVIOUSLY BEEN LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY THINKING THAT I AM BEING GUARANTEED, IF NOT SEPARATION, AT LEAST KNOWLEDGE OF ACFT THREATENING MY AIRSPACE. THE ADVISORY CALLS OF AIRWAY TFC AT DIFFERENT ALTS OTHER THAN MY OWN IS OF NO SIGNIFICANCE TO ME BUT EVEN PRIMARY TARGETS XING MY TRACK GETS MY ATTN. THE COVERAGE FROM THOSE SECONDARY, FILL-IN RADAR SITES MUST BE UPGRADED BEFORE WE CAN CLAIM AIRWAY SAFETY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 279443: CLBING THROUGH FL220, CLRED TO FL280, A BIZJET, POSSIBLY A FALCON, APPEARED AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS AT 500-1000 FT ABOVE US AT 1/2 NM HORIZ SEPARATION TRAVELING SE. IT WAS A WHITE JET WITH WINGLETS AND HAD RED STRIPES.

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.