An air carrier captain has a complaint with tocumen departure control.

Attributes
ACN	317634
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pty
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2400 msl bound upper : 2800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pty
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	descent other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	317634
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

When we positioned and hold runway 03R at pty, tower calls traffic to the east, swbound. 'Cleared for takeoff, fly heading 090 degrees.' our clearance was to 14000 ft initially, heading 090 degrees. Tocumen departure calls traffic 12 O'clock, 3 mi, 4500 ft descending. We are at about 1800 ft climbing at best angle speed, heading into a layer of clouds. Next call was traffic 12 O'clock, 1 mi, 3500 descending, we are about 2400 ft climbing. I got a tally-ho as we exited the clouds. Traffic was 11:30-12 O'clock inside a mi as we crossed altitudes at about 2800 ft, still climbing at best angle speed. Departure then called the traffic at 1/2 mi, 11 O'clock as we passed each other. We were still heading 090 degrees. Traffic (a twin engine propeller of some type unknown) was heading about 290 descending. During this whole situation, there was no TCASII traffic displayed, and no TA RA. What the heck was departure thinking vectoring us directly at known traffic! If I had delayed my turn on takeoff to 090 degrees a few seconds or had been climbing at a slower rate, this may not have only been a near miss.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT HAS A COMPLAINT WITH TOCUMEN DEP CTL.

Narrative: WHEN WE POSITIONED AND HOLD RWY 03R AT PTY, TWR CALLS TFC TO THE E, SWBOUND. 'CLRED FOR TKOF, FLY HDG 090 DEGS.' OUR CLRNC WAS TO 14000 FT INITIALLY, HDG 090 DEGS. TOCUMEN DEP CALLS TFC 12 O'CLOCK, 3 MI, 4500 FT DSNDING. WE ARE AT ABOUT 1800 FT CLBING AT BEST ANGLE SPD, HDG INTO A LAYER OF CLOUDS. NEXT CALL WAS TFC 12 O'CLOCK, 1 MI, 3500 DSNDING, WE ARE ABOUT 2400 FT CLBING. I GOT A TALLY-HO AS WE EXITED THE CLOUDS. TFC WAS 11:30-12 O'CLOCK INSIDE A MI AS WE CROSSED ALTS AT ABOUT 2800 FT, STILL CLBING AT BEST ANGLE SPD. DEP THEN CALLED THE TFC AT 1/2 MI, 11 O'CLOCK AS WE PASSED EACH OTHER. WE WERE STILL HDG 090 DEGS. TFC (A TWIN ENG PROP OF SOME TYPE UNKNOWN) WAS HDG ABOUT 290 DSNDING. DURING THIS WHOLE SIT, THERE WAS NO TCASII TFC DISPLAYED, AND NO TA RA. WHAT THE HECK WAS DEP THINKING VECTORING US DIRECTLY AT KNOWN TFC! IF I HAD DELAYED MY TURN ON TKOF TO 090 DEGS A FEW SECONDS OR HAD BEEN CLBING AT A SLOWER RATE, THIS MAY NOT HAVE ONLY BEEN A NEAR MISS.

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.