Narrative:

Long beach tower cleared us into position to hold on runway 30 awaiting a departure on runway 25R. We were advised there was also traffic at our 11 O'clock position at 2 NM. We observed the departing traffic, but not the 11 O'clock traffic. We were then cleared for takeoff which was a full power, noise abatement takeoff via runway heading to 1500 ft MSL then to turn left to heading 180 degrees climbing to 3000 ft MSL. The departure procedure requires a steep climb and tight turn at initial climb speed to avoid noise sensitive areas. Halfway into the takeoff run tower again advised that the traffic was at our 11 O'clock at what range I did not hear due to it being a very busy moment in the takeoff. I assumed he meant that during the climb I would expect to see controled traffic off to my left and I made a mental note to acquire that traffic visually before we turned in that direction. Approaching 1000 ft MSL, tower again called out the traffic and for the first time, I realized that this traffic might be more urgent than I thought. We were at about a 23 degree deck angle and when I stretched to look over the nose, I was amazed to see a light aircraft directly on our path, slightly higher (I estimate he was at 1500 ft MSL). I grabbed the controls (the first officer had been flying the plane) and pushed the nose over and reduced power drastically to attempt to go under the aircraft, which appeared to be my only escape. I lost sight of the aircraft due to the overhead console but the first officer estimated the miss by about 200 ft. I was pretty shaken up and snapped at the tower about that aircraft being there and he replied that he had called it out to us 3 times. I certainly didn't expect that we would have been cleared for takeoff into a known conflict. When I called the tower supervisor from my destination (phx) he told me that the traffic was under tower control and on a downwind for runway 25R. He also said that we were climbing more steeply than he expected. If I had known the traffic was even heading our way much less crossing our path on downwind, I would have gladly waited for him to clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC OCCURS OFF END OF DEP RWY WHEN FLC FAILS TO SEE XING TFC. TWR HAD ISSUED TA, TFC NOT SIGHTED UNTIL QUITE LATE. EVASIVE ACTION LEVELOFF.

Narrative: LONG BEACH TWR CLRED US INTO POS TO HOLD ON RWY 30 AWAITING A DEP ON RWY 25R. WE WERE ADVISED THERE WAS ALSO TFC AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS AT 2 NM. WE OBSERVED THE DEPARTING TFC, BUT NOT THE 11 O'CLOCK TFC. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF WHICH WAS A FULL PWR, NOISE ABATEMENT TKOF VIA RWY HDG TO 1500 FT MSL THEN TO TURN L TO HDG 180 DEGS CLBING TO 3000 FT MSL. THE DEP PROC REQUIRES A STEEP CLB AND TIGHT TURN AT INITIAL CLB SPD TO AVOID NOISE SENSITIVE AREAS. HALFWAY INTO THE TKOF RUN TWR AGAIN ADVISED THAT THE TFC WAS AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK AT WHAT RANGE I DID NOT HEAR DUE TO IT BEING A VERY BUSY MOMENT IN THE TKOF. I ASSUMED HE MEANT THAT DURING THE CLB I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE CTLED TFC OFF TO MY L AND I MADE A MENTAL NOTE TO ACQUIRE THAT TFC VISUALLY BEFORE WE TURNED IN THAT DIRECTION. APCHING 1000 FT MSL, TWR AGAIN CALLED OUT THE TFC AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, I REALIZED THAT THIS TFC MIGHT BE MORE URGENT THAN I THOUGHT. WE WERE AT ABOUT A 23 DEG DECK ANGLE AND WHEN I STRETCHED TO LOOK OVER THE NOSE, I WAS AMAZED TO SEE A LIGHT ACFT DIRECTLY ON OUR PATH, SLIGHTLY HIGHER (I ESTIMATE HE WAS AT 1500 FT MSL). I GRABBED THE CTLS (THE FO HAD BEEN FLYING THE PLANE) AND PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND REDUCED PWR DRASTICALLY TO ATTEMPT TO GO UNDER THE ACFT, WHICH APPEARED TO BE MY ONLY ESCAPE. I LOST SIGHT OF THE ACFT DUE TO THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE BUT THE FO ESTIMATED THE MISS BY ABOUT 200 FT. I WAS PRETTY SHAKEN UP AND SNAPPED AT THE TWR ABOUT THAT ACFT BEING THERE AND HE REPLIED THAT HE HAD CALLED IT OUT TO US 3 TIMES. I CERTAINLY DIDN'T EXPECT THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF INTO A KNOWN CONFLICT. WHEN I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR FROM MY DEST (PHX) HE TOLD ME THAT THE TFC WAS UNDER TWR CTL AND ON A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 25R. HE ALSO SAID THAT WE WERE CLBING MORE STEEPLY THAN HE EXPECTED. IF I HAD KNOWN THE TFC WAS EVEN HEADING OUR WAY MUCH LESS XING OUR PATH ON DOWNWIND, I WOULD HAVE GLADLY WAITED FOR HIM TO CLR.

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.