Narrative:

Our saab 340 was level at 16000 ft northbound to mke. ATC issued opposite direction traffic at 15000 ft, a swbound cargo B727 flight at 15000 ft. We turned our landing light on and the B727 called traffic in sight. ATC then issued a visual climb clearance through our altitude to the cargo B727 who was at approximately 6-7 mi on our TCASII. We could see he started his climb, and his light pointed at us. Seconds later our TCASII issued an RA to 'descend, descend now.' I responded to the RA immediately. And as quickly as I did, the B727 passed overhead. I remember my TCASII indicating his altitude as a +400 ft. We completed our descent to 15400 ft then reported our deviation to ATC and climbed to assigned altitude. Recommend: 1) eliminate visual climb or descent clrncs, or 2) only issue these clrncs to aircraft having TCASII, or 3) have ATC issue vectors to make sure aircraft miss each other. TCASII helped us make the correct evasive action! The human eye could not detect his movement, speed or rate of ascent. Supplemental information from acn 356082: we discussed the situation with center and he apologized for the close encounter. We returned to 16000 ft. When I last looked at TCASII, we were 400 ft apart. At that point my eyes went out the window in case I needed to demand a left turn to avoid him. However, I didn't grab the controls or command a turn since I saw we were clear. I feel we were only a few hundred ft apart and way too close. I don't feel the B727 ever saw us since he took no evasive action. I feel controllers should not allow visual climbs when there is 600 KTS closure in a night situation head on. It is easy to confuse traffic with other traffic, stars, etc, at night. Also, since he wasn't equipped with TCASII, this created more conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN SF340 COMMUTER IN CRUISE AT 16000 FT AND A CARGO B727 FROM 15000 FT ON A VISUAL CLB THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT OF THE SF340. TCASII ON SF340 SAVED THE DAY IN THIS NIGHT OP.

Narrative: OUR SAAB 340 WAS LEVEL AT 16000 FT NBOUND TO MKE. ATC ISSUED OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT 15000 FT, A SWBOUND CARGO B727 FLT AT 15000 FT. WE TURNED OUR LNDG LIGHT ON AND THE B727 CALLED TFC IN SIGHT. ATC THEN ISSUED A VISUAL CLB CLRNC THROUGH OUR ALT TO THE CARGO B727 WHO WAS AT APPROX 6-7 MI ON OUR TCASII. WE COULD SEE HE STARTED HIS CLB, AND HIS LIGHT POINTED AT US. SECONDS LATER OUR TCASII ISSUED AN RA TO 'DSND, DSND NOW.' I RESPONDED TO THE RA IMMEDIATELY. AND AS QUICKLY AS I DID, THE B727 PASSED OVERHEAD. I REMEMBER MY TCASII INDICATING HIS ALT AS A +400 FT. WE COMPLETED OUR DSCNT TO 15400 FT THEN RPTED OUR DEV TO ATC AND CLBED TO ASSIGNED ALT. RECOMMEND: 1) ELIMINATE VISUAL CLB OR DSCNT CLRNCS, OR 2) ONLY ISSUE THESE CLRNCS TO ACFT HAVING TCASII, OR 3) HAVE ATC ISSUE VECTORS TO MAKE SURE ACFT MISS EACH OTHER. TCASII HELPED US MAKE THE CORRECT EVASIVE ACTION! THE HUMAN EYE COULD NOT DETECT HIS MOVEMENT, SPD OR RATE OF ASCENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 356082: WE DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH CTR AND HE APOLOGIZED FOR THE CLOSE ENCOUNTER. WE RETURNED TO 16000 FT. WHEN I LAST LOOKED AT TCASII, WE WERE 400 FT APART. AT THAT POINT MY EYES WENT OUT THE WINDOW IN CASE I NEEDED TO DEMAND A L TURN TO AVOID HIM. HOWEVER, I DIDN'T GRAB THE CTLS OR COMMAND A TURN SINCE I SAW WE WERE CLR. I FEEL WE WERE ONLY A FEW HUNDRED FT APART AND WAY TOO CLOSE. I DON'T FEEL THE B727 EVER SAW US SINCE HE TOOK NO EVASIVE ACTION. I FEEL CTLRS SHOULD NOT ALLOW VISUAL CLBS WHEN THERE IS 600 KTS CLOSURE IN A NIGHT SIT HEAD ON. IT IS EASY TO CONFUSE TFC WITH OTHER TFC, STARS, ETC, AT NIGHT. ALSO, SINCE HE WASN'T EQUIPPED WITH TCASII, THIS CREATED MORE CONFLICT.

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.