Narrative:

Phx departure control (119.2) contacted us with a TA. I was on company frequency at the time, giving departure and arrival times, but still listening to ATC at the same time. We both thought we heard ATC say we had traffic at 2 O'clock, 14500 ft, swbound. After looking for a while (we were heading 360 degrees and climbing out of 12000 ft for 15000 ft) we figured he was no longer a factor. Approximately 1 min later, we received a TA from TCASII and observed an aircraft at 12 O'clock and 3 mi and 1200 ft above us descending. Several seconds later, he was at 700 ft and 2 mi. (We were approaching 14000 ft.) it became obvious at this time that this was the aircraft ATC told us about and he was not descending, it was our climb that was creating this conflict. I instructed my first officer to disregard the 15000 ft and climb fast. We leveled at 15500 ft then returned to 15000 ft. I inquired with departure control as to why he would climb us through someone else's altitude when neither aircraft had a visual on each other. I strongly suggest that ATC think twice about clearing 2 opposite direction aircraft through each other's altitude unless they have a visual identify on each other. This was close. We passed within 1 mi of each other head-on at the same altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEP CTLR GAVE AN A320 CLBING OUT OF PHX A TA ON A VFR C421. CAPT RPTR WAS TALKING TO COMPANY AND LISTENING TO ATC AND THOUGHT TFC WAS AT 2 O'CLOCK. A320 DID NOT SEE TFC UNTIL TCASII ALERTED THEM AND THEY EXPEDITED THEIR CLB AND BUSTED THEIR ALT BY 500 FT AND SAID TFC PROX WAS TOO CLOSE.

Narrative: PHX DEP CTL (119.2) CONTACTED US WITH A TA. I WAS ON COMPANY FREQ AT THE TIME, GIVING DEP AND ARR TIMES, BUT STILL LISTENING TO ATC AT THE SAME TIME. WE BOTH THOUGHT WE HEARD ATC SAY WE HAD TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK, 14500 FT, SWBOUND. AFTER LOOKING FOR A WHILE (WE WERE HDG 360 DEGS AND CLBING OUT OF 12000 FT FOR 15000 FT) WE FIGURED HE WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR. APPROX 1 MIN LATER, WE RECEIVED A TA FROM TCASII AND OBSERVED AN ACFT AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 3 MI AND 1200 FT ABOVE US DSNDING. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, HE WAS AT 700 FT AND 2 MI. (WE WERE APCHING 14000 FT.) IT BECAME OBVIOUS AT THIS TIME THAT THIS WAS THE ACFT ATC TOLD US ABOUT AND HE WAS NOT DSNDING, IT WAS OUR CLB THAT WAS CREATING THIS CONFLICT. I INSTRUCTED MY FO TO DISREGARD THE 15000 FT AND CLB FAST. WE LEVELED AT 15500 FT THEN RETURNED TO 15000 FT. I INQUIRED WITH DEP CTL AS TO WHY HE WOULD CLB US THROUGH SOMEONE ELSE'S ALT WHEN NEITHER ACFT HAD A VISUAL ON EACH OTHER. I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT ATC THINK TWICE ABOUT CLRING 2 OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT THROUGH EACH OTHER'S ALT UNLESS THEY HAVE A VISUAL IDENT ON EACH OTHER. THIS WAS CLOSE. WE PASSED WITHIN 1 MI OF EACH OTHER HEAD-ON AT THE SAME ALT.

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.