Narrative:

From phx to tus departed runway 8L at phx at XA40 local boeing 737-200. Prior to takeoff clearance, was advised to maintain visual separation with company, another boeing 737 (300 model) which had just taken off. I was the first officer in the right seat flying. We were cleared on the picah 5 departure (attached). At about 1-2 mi east of the phx VOR and prior to the normal 4 DME turn point, phx departure control told us to turn to a 180 degree heading and direct stanfield (tfd) VOR when able. I rolled into a standard rate (right turn) turn at about 220- 230 KIAS and as I began to roll out on the assigned 180 degree heading, the captain asked me if I still had a visual on the other jet. I told him no, since the left wing was too high for me to be able to observe over the left wing. He then asked me again if I saw the other plane. I said negative and at that point he took the airplane, banked left and pulled back on the thrust levers. I observed the company 737-300 pass to our front at about 300 ft below and 500- 800 ft in front of us wbound. The captain returned the controls to me and we continued our uneventful flight on to tucson. ATC had cleared the other jet turn wbound to buckeye (bxk) VOR on the buckeye 2 departure (attached). I believe that ATC should not have cleared us so soon to stanfield VOR until the crossing traffic had turned west to buckeye VOR well clear of us. The captain believes that the first ATC clearance to maintain visual separation with company implied that we should have slowed back or turned to allow the other jet to cut across in front of us. If that is so, then he should have taken the controls or commanded evasive action earlier than he did. Once I entered the standard rate turn I lost sight of the other jet who at that time was going parallel to us, 2 mi ahead of us and both of us sbound. I had no idea ATC was going to cut him across in front of us in the turn. A less restrained flow of information from the captain to the first officer would have helped to prevent this situation, since he was in full view of the other aircraft (left side) at all times. Supplemental information from acn 293359: we were preceded by a 737-300 on the buckeye departure. The first officer was flying. At approximately 4000 ft MSL the 737-300 in front of us was approximately 5 mi in front. The controller cleared the 737-300 in front of us direct to bxk and the aircraft started its turn. At this time our aircraft was approximately 1000 ft lower and approximately 40 KTS faster than the 737-300. The controller issued us the following clearance. 'Turn right heading 180 degrees, stanfield when able, maintain visual with the aircraft ahead and pass above and behind that aircraft.' the first officer turned the jet smartly to a heading of 180 degrees and rolled out from my view. This put us on a rendezvous bearing and closing. I asked the first officer if he still had the other aircraft in sight. 'No' was the answer. I took control of our aircraft and passed approximately 800-700 ft over him and 1100 ft vertical.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AFTER VISUAL SEPARATION CLRNC WAS ISSUED FOR DEP ACR 737-200.

Narrative: FROM PHX TO TUS DEPARTED RWY 8L AT PHX AT XA40 LCL BOEING 737-200. PRIOR TO TKOF CLRNC, WAS ADVISED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH COMPANY, ANOTHER BOEING 737 (300 MODEL) WHICH HAD JUST TAKEN OFF. I WAS THE FO IN THE R SEAT FLYING. WE WERE CLRED ON THE PICAH 5 DEP (ATTACHED). AT ABOUT 1-2 MI E OF THE PHX VOR AND PRIOR TO THE NORMAL 4 DME TURN POINT, PHX DEP CTL TOLD US TO TURN TO A 180 DEG HDG AND DIRECT STANFIELD (TFD) VOR WHEN ABLE. I ROLLED INTO A STANDARD RATE (R TURN) TURN AT ABOUT 220- 230 KIAS AND AS I BEGAN TO ROLL OUT ON THE ASSIGNED 180 DEG HDG, THE CAPT ASKED ME IF I STILL HAD A VISUAL ON THE OTHER JET. I TOLD HIM NO, SINCE THE L WING WAS TOO HIGH FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO OBSERVE OVER THE L WING. HE THEN ASKED ME AGAIN IF I SAW THE OTHER PLANE. I SAID NEGATIVE AND AT THAT POINT HE TOOK THE AIRPLANE, BANKED L AND PULLED BACK ON THE THRUST LEVERS. I OBSERVED THE COMPANY 737-300 PASS TO OUR FRONT AT ABOUT 300 FT BELOW AND 500- 800 FT IN FRONT OF US WBOUND. THE CAPT RETURNED THE CTLS TO ME AND WE CONTINUED OUR UNEVENTFUL FLT ON TO TUCSON. ATC HAD CLRED THE OTHER JET TURN WBOUND TO BUCKEYE (BXK) VOR ON THE BUCKEYE 2 DEP (ATTACHED). I BELIEVE THAT ATC SHOULD NOT HAVE CLRED US SO SOON TO STANFIELD VOR UNTIL THE XING TFC HAD TURNED W TO BUCKEYE VOR WELL CLR OF US. THE CAPT BELIEVES THAT THE FIRST ATC CLRNC TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH COMPANY IMPLIED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SLOWED BACK OR TURNED TO ALLOW THE OTHER JET TO CUT ACROSS IN FRONT OF US. IF THAT IS SO, THEN HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CTLS OR COMMANDED EVASIVE ACTION EARLIER THAN HE DID. ONCE I ENTERED THE STANDARD RATE TURN I LOST SIGHT OF THE OTHER JET WHO AT THAT TIME WAS GOING PARALLEL TO US, 2 MI AHEAD OF US AND BOTH OF US SBOUND. I HAD NO IDEA ATC WAS GOING TO CUT HIM ACROSS IN FRONT OF US IN THE TURN. A LESS RESTRAINED FLOW OF INFO FROM THE CAPT TO THE FO WOULD HAVE HELPED TO PREVENT THIS SIT, SINCE HE WAS IN FULL VIEW OF THE OTHER ACFT (L SIDE) AT ALL TIMES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 293359: WE WERE PRECEDED BY A 737-300 ON THE BUCKEYE DEP. THE FO WAS FLYING. AT APPROX 4000 FT MSL THE 737-300 IN FRONT OF US WAS APPROX 5 MI IN FRONT. THE CTLR CLRED THE 737-300 IN FRONT OF US DIRECT TO BXK AND THE ACFT STARTED ITS TURN. AT THIS TIME OUR ACFT WAS APPROX 1000 FT LOWER AND APPROX 40 KTS FASTER THAN THE 737-300. THE CTLR ISSUED US THE FOLLOWING CLRNC. 'TURN R HDG 180 DEGS, STANFIELD WHEN ABLE, MAINTAIN VISUAL WITH THE ACFT AHEAD AND PASS ABOVE AND BEHIND THAT ACFT.' THE FO TURNED THE JET SMARTLY TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS AND ROLLED OUT FROM MY VIEW. THIS PUT US ON A RENDEZVOUS BEARING AND CLOSING. I ASKED THE FO IF HE STILL HAD THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT. 'NO' WAS THE ANSWER. I TOOK CTL OF OUR ACFT AND PASSED APPROX 800-700 FT OVER HIM AND 1100 FT VERT.

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.