Flight crew of B727 experiences near midair collision with small aircraft while departing dca.

Attributes
ACN	425726
Time
Date	199901
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	425726
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Air carrier flight xyz dca-lga B727. Washington national departure runway 36, noise abatement. At takeoff clearance tower informs us that there is a cessna orbiting at 1500 ft 5 mi northwest of airport. On departure after takeoff tower informs cessna has us in sight and is now at 3 mi northeast of field and has us in sight. We are climbing at 18 degrees nose up -- over the potomac, avoiding P-51. TCASII advisory shows traffic slightly above (1000 ft) inside 5 NM. We maximum climb B727 due to fact unable to visually acquire traffic. We do not level off at 1500 ft AGL to clean up aircraft and do not reduce power to comply with noise abatement departure. Continue climb TCASII shows we pass directly over traffic at 400-500 ft. What is this cessna doing in departure corridor path? Even though this is legal, cessna claims to have us in sight, we came way too close to a midair collision.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 EXPERIENCES NMAC WITH SMALL ACFT WHILE DEPARTING DCA.

Narrative: ACR FLT XYZ DCA-LGA B727. WASHINGTON NATIONAL DEP RWY 36, NOISE ABATEMENT. AT TKOF CLRNC TWR INFORMS US THAT THERE IS A CESSNA ORBITING AT 1500 FT 5 MI NW OF ARPT. ON DEP AFTER TKOF TWR INFORMS CESSNA HAS US IN SIGHT AND IS NOW AT 3 MI NE OF FIELD AND HAS US IN SIGHT. WE ARE CLBING AT 18 DEGS NOSE UP -- OVER THE POTOMAC, AVOIDING P-51. TCASII ADVISORY SHOWS TFC SLIGHTLY ABOVE (1000 FT) INSIDE 5 NM. WE MAX CLB B727 DUE TO FACT UNABLE TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE TFC. WE DO NOT LEVEL OFF AT 1500 FT AGL TO CLEAN UP ACFT AND DO NOT REDUCE PWR TO COMPLY WITH NOISE ABATEMENT DEP. CONTINUE CLB TCASII SHOWS WE PASS DIRECTLY OVER TFC AT 400-500 FT. WHAT IS THIS CESSNA DOING IN DEP CORRIDOR PATH? EVEN THOUGH THIS IS LEGAL, CESSNA CLAIMS TO HAVE US IN SIGHT, WE CAME WAY TOO CLOSE TO A MIDAIR COLLISION.

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.