Narrative:

Climbing out on the frees SID approximately 3 to 5 mi west on the 202 degree radial and out of approximately 2500 to 3000 ft, I noticed a cessna 150 at our 1 O'clock position on a collision course with our aircraft. I immediately rolled the aircraft into an approximately 90 degree left descending bank to avoid the collision with the cessna that was between 1/8 to 1/4 of a mi from us. My first officer asked the tower controller if she knew of any aircraft in our vicinity. She replied she did not. The cessna pilot then came on tower frequency and reminded the controller that he was cleared to depart runway 19 straight out. In my opinion. No one person was at fault. However, the situation may never have arisen if the controller had warned us that the aircraft had departed in the same direction we were heading. The WX was marginal to the west of the airport due to heavy rain showers, we were busy using the radar to plan a course around the WX and flying the SID when the incident happened and had not yet been handed over to ZOA. Problems like this are very common in sts. The mix of high speed commuter aircraft and small GA aircraft are, in my and many of my colleagues opinions, a tragedy waiting to happen. It would seem that the installation of radar in that control tower would help this situation greatly. Inspector with the FAA was in the jumpseat conducting an en route inspection at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEPARTING EMB120 HAS A CONFLICT WITH A PRECEDING C-150.

Narrative: CLBING OUT ON THE FREES SID APPROX 3 TO 5 MI W ON THE 202 DEG RADIAL AND OUT OF APPROX 2500 TO 3000 FT, I NOTICED A CESSNA 150 AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH OUR ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY ROLLED THE ACFT INTO AN APPROX 90 DEG L DSNDING BANK TO AVOID THE COLLISION WITH THE CESSNA THAT WAS BTWN 1/8 TO 1/4 OF A MI FROM US. MY FO ASKED THE TWR CTLR IF SHE KNEW OF ANY ACFT IN OUR VICINITY. SHE REPLIED SHE DID NOT. THE CESSNA PLT THEN CAME ON TWR FREQ AND REMINDED THE CTLR THAT HE WAS CLRED TO DEPART RWY 19 STRAIGHT OUT. IN MY OPINION. NO ONE PERSON WAS AT FAULT. HOWEVER, THE SIT MAY NEVER HAVE ARISEN IF THE CTLR HAD WARNED US THAT THE ACFT HAD DEPARTED IN THE SAME DIRECTION WE WERE HDG. THE WX WAS MARGINAL TO THE W OF THE ARPT DUE TO HVY RAIN SHOWERS, WE WERE BUSY USING THE RADAR TO PLAN A COURSE AROUND THE WX AND FLYING THE SID WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AND HAD NOT YET BEEN HANDED OVER TO ZOA. PROBS LIKE THIS ARE VERY COMMON IN STS. THE MIX OF HIGH SPD COMMUTER ACFT AND SMALL GA ACFT ARE, IN MY AND MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES OPINIONS, A TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN. IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE INSTALLATION OF RADAR IN THAT CTL TWR WOULD HELP THIS SIT GREATLY. INSPECTOR WITH THE FAA WAS IN THE JUMPSEAT CONDUCTING AN ENRTE INSPECTION AT THE TIME.

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.