Flight crew of a B737 climbed in response to their visual sighting of the preceding aircraft and a TCASII RA. ATC did provide a TA and instructed the reporter to maintain visual separation with that aircraft.

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Attributes
ACN	341173
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1300 msl bound upper : 1300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 9300 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	341173
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Cleared for takeoff from phl runway 27L. The preceding aircraft was still on runway. We waited till he was clear, then set takeoff power. After flaps were retracted ATC asked if we had traffic at 1 O'clock in sight. We replied yes. ATC asked us to maintain visual separation. We agreed. Now the aircraft in front was banking left and we were cleared direct woodstown. We started our left turn. The other aircraft also said he had us in visual contact. We realized the other aircraft was executing a smaller radius turn and also ATC had given him the turn before our clearance. We climbed steeper and attempted to notify ATC that we were not going to be able to maintain safe visual separation if the other aircraft kept turning towards us. Of course ATC was talking and we were not immediately able to notify ATC. We did not know the other aircraft was cleared by ATC to turn to a point from 1 O'clock to our 9 O'clock directly across our flight path. Then we got a TCASII RA 'climb.' we already had our climb rate above what the RA requested. The other aircraft apparently had a 'descend' RA and we passed over him at 1000 ft or better. When we accepted the visual separation we thought the other aircraft would be paralleling our course, not crossing right in front of us. No more visual separation for me in the terminal area or elsewhere.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737 CLBED IN RESPONSE TO THEIR VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE PRECEDING ACFT AND A TCASII RA. ATC DID PROVIDE A TA AND INSTRUCTED THE RPTR TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THAT ACFT.

Narrative: CLRED FOR TKOF FROM PHL RWY 27L. THE PRECEDING ACFT WAS STILL ON RWY. WE WAITED TILL HE WAS CLR, THEN SET TKOF PWR. AFTER FLAPS WERE RETRACTED ATC ASKED IF WE HAD TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK IN SIGHT. WE REPLIED YES. ATC ASKED US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. WE AGREED. NOW THE ACFT IN FRONT WAS BANKING L AND WE WERE CLRED DIRECT WOODSTOWN. WE STARTED OUR L TURN. THE OTHER ACFT ALSO SAID HE HAD US IN VISUAL CONTACT. WE REALIZED THE OTHER ACFT WAS EXECUTING A SMALLER RADIUS TURN AND ALSO ATC HAD GIVEN HIM THE TURN BEFORE OUR CLRNC. WE CLBED STEEPER AND ATTEMPTED TO NOTIFY ATC THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN SAFE VISUAL SEPARATION IF THE OTHER ACFT KEPT TURNING TOWARDS US. OF COURSE ATC WAS TALKING AND WE WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY ABLE TO NOTIFY ATC. WE DID NOT KNOW THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLRED BY ATC TO TURN TO A POINT FROM 1 O'CLOCK TO OUR 9 O'CLOCK DIRECTLY ACROSS OUR FLT PATH. THEN WE GOT A TCASII RA 'CLB.' WE ALREADY HAD OUR CLB RATE ABOVE WHAT THE RA REQUESTED. THE OTHER ACFT APPARENTLY HAD A 'DSND' RA AND WE PASSED OVER HIM AT 1000 FT OR BETTER. WHEN WE ACCEPTED THE VISUAL SEPARATION WE THOUGHT THE OTHER ACFT WOULD BE PARALLELING OUR COURSE, NOT XING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. NO MORE VISUAL SEPARATION FOR ME IN THE TERMINAL AREA OR ELSEWHERE.

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.