Narrative:

Air carrier X cleared for takeoff and clearance to turn left to heading 210 degrees. Climbing through approximately 200 ft AGL, my first officer noticed another aircraft Y which appeared to be inbound to the airport from the southwest (we were departing runway 23). That aircraft's altitude appeared to be 600-700 ft AGL at a distance of 1-2 mi. We were on converging courses and would very likely have collided if I had complied with our clearance. Instead, I initiated an evasive maneuver by stopping the climb at approximately 500 ft AGL and turning sharply to the right, away from that aircraft. At about the same time, the other pilot turned to his right (towards southeast). Our aircraft passed each other in banked turns less than 100 ft apart. I questioned the tower operator as to the other aircraft and his reply was '...my mistake.' I subsequently filed a 'near miss' report with crw tower. That investigation is now underway, however, I was told by the FAA FSDO investigator that the inbound aircraft was a piper navajo and that investigator was aboard the aircraft conducting a check flight under part 135! That aircraft was doing a VOR-a approach with a circle to land runway 33. The published MDA for that approach is 1600 ft MSL (618 ft AGL). Neither crew was advised of other aircraft by tower. TCASII may have avoided this whole situation. 'Heads up' action by my first officer may very well have saved us. Incident investigation should not be conducted by an involved party.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD NMAC LTSS FROM SMT MAKING AN APCH. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X CLRED FOR TKOF AND CLRNC TO TURN L TO HDG 210 DEGS. CLBING THROUGH APPROX 200 FT AGL, MY FO NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT Y WHICH APPEARED TO BE INBOUND TO THE ARPT FROM THE SW (WE WERE DEPARTING RWY 23). THAT ACFT'S ALT APPEARED TO BE 600-700 FT AGL AT A DISTANCE OF 1-2 MI. WE WERE ON CONVERGING COURSES AND WOULD VERY LIKELY HAVE COLLIDED IF I HAD COMPLIED WITH OUR CLRNC. INSTEAD, I INITIATED AN EVASIVE MANEUVER BY STOPPING THE CLB AT APPROX 500 FT AGL AND TURNING SHARPLY TO THE R, AWAY FROM THAT ACFT. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE OTHER PLT TURNED TO HIS R (TOWARDS SE). OUR ACFT PASSED EACH OTHER IN BANKED TURNS LESS THAN 100 FT APART. I QUESTIONED THE TWR OPERATOR AS TO THE OTHER ACFT AND HIS REPLY WAS '...MY MISTAKE.' I SUBSEQUENTLY FILED A 'NEAR MISS' RPT WITH CRW TWR. THAT INVESTIGATION IS NOW UNDERWAY, HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD BY THE FAA FSDO INVESTIGATOR THAT THE INBOUND ACFT WAS A PIPER NAVAJO AND THAT INVESTIGATOR WAS ABOARD THE ACFT CONDUCTING A CHK FLT UNDER PART 135! THAT ACFT WAS DOING A VOR-A APCH WITH A CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 33. THE PUBLISHED MDA FOR THAT APCH IS 1600 FT MSL (618 FT AGL). NEITHER CREW WAS ADVISED OF OTHER ACFT BY TWR. TCASII MAY HAVE AVOIDED THIS WHOLE SIT. 'HEADS UP' ACTION BY MY FO MAY VERY WELL HAVE SAVED US. INCIDENT INVESTIGATION SHOULD NOT BE CONDUCTED BY AN INVOLVED PARTY.

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.