DC9 crew had near midair collision with BE02. TCASII issues a TA, followed by an RA.

Attributes
ACN	402647
Time
Date	199805
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3900 flight time type : 375
ASRS Report	402647
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On vector from mem departure, cleared to climb to 16000 ft, then told to level off at 10000 ft for traffic at 10 O'clock position, beech 1900 ft at 11000 ft. The beech 1900 calls us in sight, and center clears us to climb to 16000 ft on our assigned heading and the beech 1900 will remain clear of us. At approximately 4 mi the TCASII picks up traffic and then gives a TA followed closely by an RA. The captain pushes over and descends as per the TCASII. I made a radio call to tell the beech to level wings and to fly straight ahead (he was belly up to us). We avoid him by 500 ft horizontal, 500 ft vertical. I believe the beech 1900 crew failed to keep us in sight when we started our climb and also, miscalculated the capabilities of our aircraft to climb (we were very light weight and started a climb in excess of 2000 FPM). This could have caught the beech 1900 crew off guard, misjudging closure rate versus climb rate. We did not have the beech aircraft in sight until the first TA from our TCASII and that was less than 1 NM away.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW HAD NMAC WITH BE02. TCASII ISSUES A TA, FOLLOWED BY AN RA.

Narrative: ON VECTOR FROM MEM DEP, CLRED TO CLB TO 16000 FT, THEN TOLD TO LEVEL OFF AT 10000 FT FOR TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK POS, BEECH 1900 FT AT 11000 FT. THE BEECH 1900 CALLS US IN SIGHT, AND CTR CLRS US TO CLB TO 16000 FT ON OUR ASSIGNED HEADING AND THE BEECH 1900 WILL REMAIN CLR OF US. AT APPROX 4 MI THE TCASII PICKS UP TFC AND THEN GIVES A TA FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY AN RA. THE CAPT PUSHES OVER AND DSNDS AS PER THE TCASII. I MADE A RADIO CALL TO TELL THE BEECH TO LEVEL WINGS AND TO FLY STRAIGHT AHEAD (HE WAS BELLY UP TO US). WE AVOID HIM BY 500 FT HORIZONTAL, 500 FT VERTICAL. I BELIEVE THE BEECH 1900 CREW FAILED TO KEEP US IN SIGHT WHEN WE STARTED OUR CLB AND ALSO, MISCALCULATED THE CAPABILITIES OF OUR ACFT TO CLB (WE WERE VERY LIGHT WT AND STARTED A CLB IN EXCESS OF 2000 FPM). THIS COULD HAVE CAUGHT THE BEECH 1900 CREW OFF GUARD, MISJUDGING CLOSURE RATE VERSUS CLB RATE. WE DID NOT HAVE THE BEECH ACFT IN SIGHT UNTIL THE FIRST TA FROM OUR TCASII AND THAT WAS LESS THAN 1 NM AWAY.

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.