Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff, sfo runway 28R, were leveling at 3000 ft to raise the flaps when I spotted a light plane (sel) about 11 O'clock. Simultaneously I spotted a blip on the TCASII at -400 ft. I started to call departure to see if they were spotting the light plane on their radar when I realized I was not yet switched over to departure from tower. I switched and called them and they said they had been trying to call me because of the aircraft. Neither my first officer nor myself heard the switchover request. I did notice static in my headset when talking to approach control, so maybe that was the problem for not hearing the switchover from tower. At any rate, I thought, even though I saw the traffic and did not feel threatened unnecessarily, it's a strange place for a light plane to be with a steady stream of commercial jet departures from the parallel runways 28 in progress. He appeared exactly at 3000 ft over the shoreline which was approximately the altitude a heavy jet departing sfo would be at that point. Also, 3000 ft puts him in the TCA. If he was not cleared, he was clearly violating the TCA. If he was cleared, I would question the wisdom of allowing him there for just the reason that unfolded. Aircraft departing sfo must change frequency from tower to departure control in a very short period of time. There is simply too much going on in the cockpit during a takeoff, a highly critical phase of flight, to count on that change going smoothly every time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A DC10 OBSERVED A SEL ACFT NEAR SAME ALT JUST OFF THE ACFT NOSE DURING INITIAL CLBOUT AFTER TKOF FROM A CLASS B ARPT. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN, BUT WHEN THE CAPT QUERIED APCH CTLR REGARDING THE LIGHT ACFT, HE WAS ADVISED THAT ATC HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT HIM FOR A TA. CAPT REALIZED HE HAD BEEN ON TWR FREQ AND NOT SWITCHED TO DEP CTL.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, SFO RWY 28R, WERE LEVELING AT 3000 FT TO RAISE THE FLAPS WHEN I SPOTTED A LIGHT PLANE (SEL) ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK. SIMULTANEOUSLY I SPOTTED A BLIP ON THE TCASII AT -400 FT. I STARTED TO CALL DEP TO SEE IF THEY WERE SPOTTING THE LIGHT PLANE ON THEIR RADAR WHEN I REALIZED I WAS NOT YET SWITCHED OVER TO DEP FROM TWR. I SWITCHED AND CALLED THEM AND THEY SAID THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CALL ME BECAUSE OF THE ACFT. NEITHER MY FO NOR MYSELF HEARD THE SWITCHOVER REQUEST. I DID NOTICE STATIC IN MY HEADSET WHEN TALKING TO APCH CTL, SO MAYBE THAT WAS THE PROB FOR NOT HEARING THE SWITCHOVER FROM TWR. AT ANY RATE, I THOUGHT, EVEN THOUGH I SAW THE TFC AND DID NOT FEEL THREATENED UNNECESSARILY, IT'S A STRANGE PLACE FOR A LIGHT PLANE TO BE WITH A STEADY STREAM OF COMMERCIAL JET DEPS FROM THE PARALLEL RWYS 28 IN PROGRESS. HE APPEARED EXACTLY AT 3000 FT OVER THE SHORELINE WHICH WAS APPROX THE ALT A HVY JET DEPARTING SFO WOULD BE AT THAT POINT. ALSO, 3000 FT PUTS HIM IN THE TCA. IF HE WAS NOT CLRED, HE WAS CLRLY VIOLATING THE TCA. IF HE WAS CLRED, I WOULD QUESTION THE WISDOM OF ALLOWING HIM THERE FOR JUST THE REASON THAT UNFOLDED. ACFT DEPARTING SFO MUST CHANGE FREQ FROM TWR TO DEP CTL IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THERE IS SIMPLY TOO MUCH GOING ON IN THE COCKPIT DURING A TKOF, A HIGHLY CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT, TO COUNT ON THAT CHANGE GOING SMOOTHLY EVERY TIME.

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.