Narrative:

During climb, after takeoff, leveling at 3000 ft, we were told of traffic that had departed smo on heading of 270 degrees and would maintain visual. The traffic was climbing and accelerating rapidly to our altitude, obviously on an intercept course. With the TCASII giving us a RA to descend, we quickly began descent with an ATC vector to 180 degrees (we had been on 250 degrees). Traffic passed overhead within 200 ft and 1/4 mi. Supplemental information from acn 340513: left smo IFR flight plan. Original clearance had us runway heading until crossing lax 305 degrees, then right turn to 250 degrees, initial altitude 3000 ft. On first call to departure control we are told to maintain present heading and climb to 3000 ft. Airliner off lax turns toward us staying at our 7 O'clock. We are told that airliner had an RA and would be passing below and slightly behind. We continued our departure uneventfully. Supplemental information from acn 339570: we were using visual separation with LR35 climbing below air carrier X. Air carrier X got an RA and, instead of continuing his climb which would have ended up with well over a 1000 ft of separation, air carrier X descended. Now LR35 is above air carrier X and LR35 was told to stay below air carrier X. The ensuing confusion just added to the danger of the situation. If the pilot of air carrier X was allowed to follow his judgement and continue his climb as opposed to following the software and descend, the whole situation would have been averted. If we can be allowed to D our jobs without being second-guessed by a computer, then we could operate even safer. Supplemental information from acn 339562: if air carrier X had kept climbing instead of descending, none of this would have occurred. But now the LR35 is level at 3000 ft and air carrier X is underneath and wondering what to do. In retrospect, the LR35 should have been stopped at 2000 ft (non standard) or left to diverge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR A320 DEPARTING LAX HAD LTSS WITH A ATX LR35 DEPARTING SMO. TCASII COMMANDED THE A320 TO DSND UNNECESSARILY. THERE WAS VISUAL SEPARATION.

Narrative: DURING CLB, AFTER TKOF, LEVELING AT 3000 FT, WE WERE TOLD OF TFC THAT HAD DEPARTED SMO ON HDG OF 270 DEGS AND WOULD MAINTAIN VISUAL. THE TFC WAS CLBING AND ACCELERATING RAPIDLY TO OUR ALT, OBVIOUSLY ON AN INTERCEPT COURSE. WITH THE TCASII GIVING US A RA TO DSND, WE QUICKLY BEGAN DSCNT WITH AN ATC VECTOR TO 180 DEGS (WE HAD BEEN ON 250 DEGS). TFC PASSED OVERHEAD WITHIN 200 FT AND 1/4 MI. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 340513: L SMO IFR FLT PLAN. ORIGINAL CLRNC HAD US RWY HDG UNTIL XING LAX 305 DEGS, THEN R TURN TO 250 DEGS, INITIAL ALT 3000 FT. ON FIRST CALL TO DEP CTL WE ARE TOLD TO MAINTAIN PRESENT HDG AND CLB TO 3000 FT. AIRLINER OFF LAX TURNS TOWARD US STAYING AT OUR 7 O'CLOCK. WE ARE TOLD THAT AIRLINER HAD AN RA AND WOULD BE PASSING BELOW AND SLIGHTLY BEHIND. WE CONTINUED OUR DEP UNEVENTFULLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 339570: WE WERE USING VISUAL SEPARATION WITH LR35 CLBING BELOW ACR X. ACR X GOT AN RA AND, INSTEAD OF CONTINUING HIS CLB WHICH WOULD HAVE ENDED UP WITH WELL OVER A 1000 FT OF SEPARATION, ACR X DSNDED. NOW LR35 IS ABOVE ACR X AND LR35 WAS TOLD TO STAY BELOW ACR X. THE ENSUING CONFUSION JUST ADDED TO THE DANGER OF THE SIT. IF THE PLT OF ACR X WAS ALLOWED TO FOLLOW HIS JUDGEMENT AND CONTINUE HIS CLB AS OPPOSED TO FOLLOWING THE SOFTWARE AND DSND, THE WHOLE SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED. IF WE CAN BE ALLOWED TO D OUR JOBS WITHOUT BEING SECOND-GUESSED BY A COMPUTER, THEN WE COULD OPERATE EVEN SAFER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 339562: IF ACR X HAD KEPT CLBING INSTEAD OF DSNDING, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. BUT NOW THE LR35 IS LEVEL AT 3000 FT AND ACR X IS UNDERNEATH AND WONDERING WHAT TO DO. IN RETROSPECT, THE LR35 SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED AT 2000 FT (NON STANDARD) OR LEFT TO DIVERGE.

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.