Narrative:

We were vectored south during IFR departure while climbing to original cleared altitude of 8000 ft MSL. It's common to be vectored south below arrival corridor before being cleared on course. Climbing out of 7000 ft we noticed traffic at our 1 O'clock position which departure called shortly after. We leveled off at 7600 ft with other aircraft (at 8000 ft) passing directly overhead. Departure controller was also handling arrs on a different frequency. Arrival traffic seemed busy based on controller xmissions. I would prefer to hear traffic as well as controller, instead of nothing. Our aircraft was not TCASII equipped. Installation dates have been slipped. TCASII would have provided a much earlier warning of developing conflict as we were struggling to determine other aircraft's altitude in the dark. Had the controller not given us that aircraft's altitude we might have passed much closer. Had it been IMC we would have leveled off at 8000 ft with a midair collision extremely likely save the appropriate response of the other crew to their TCASII equipment. Ideas: seems dumb to artificially overload a controller by giving him 2 jobs at once. We need TCASII in the commuters. It has saved me before (in 1 of our 2 equipped planes).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC LEVELED OFF IN TAKING EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID ANOTHER ACFT AT ASSIGNED ALT WHILE CLBING TO THAT ALT.

Narrative: WE WERE VECTORED S DURING IFR DEP WHILE CLBING TO ORIGINAL CLRED ALT OF 8000 FT MSL. IT'S COMMON TO BE VECTORED S BELOW ARR CORRIDOR BEFORE BEING CLRED ON COURSE. CLBING OUT OF 7000 FT WE NOTICED TFC AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS WHICH DEP CALLED SHORTLY AFTER. WE LEVELED OFF AT 7600 FT WITH OTHER ACFT (AT 8000 FT) PASSING DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. DEP CTLR WAS ALSO HANDLING ARRS ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. ARR TFC SEEMED BUSY BASED ON CTLR XMISSIONS. I WOULD PREFER TO HEAR TFC AS WELL AS CTLR, INSTEAD OF NOTHING. OUR ACFT WAS NOT TCASII EQUIPPED. INSTALLATION DATES HAVE BEEN SLIPPED. TCASII WOULD HAVE PROVIDED A MUCH EARLIER WARNING OF DEVELOPING CONFLICT AS WE WERE STRUGGLING TO DETERMINE OTHER ACFT'S ALT IN THE DARK. HAD THE CTLR NOT GIVEN US THAT ACFT'S ALT WE MIGHT HAVE PASSED MUCH CLOSER. HAD IT BEEN IMC WE WOULD HAVE LEVELED OFF AT 8000 FT WITH A MIDAIR COLLISION EXTREMELY LIKELY SAVE THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE OF THE OTHER CREW TO THEIR TCASII EQUIP. IDEAS: SEEMS DUMB TO ARTIFICIALLY OVERLOAD A CTLR BY GIVING HIM 2 JOBS AT ONCE. WE NEED TCASII IN THE COMMUTERS. IT HAS SAVED ME BEFORE (IN 1 OF OUR 2 EQUIPPED PLANES).

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.