Narrative:

Departed sfo on porte 3 czq transition. After takeoff clearance, tower gave us 3000 ft altitude clearance, instead of the normal 15000 ft. Checked in with departure. He gave us a left turn to 180 degrees just as we crossed the sfo 350 degree radial at 4 DME (the SID calls for a turn to 200 degrees at this point). He also gave us a cherokee as traffic at 3500 ft VFR nwbound (I don't remember the clock direction, but the cherokee had passed over the sfo airport). The WX was clear, although there was the typical clouds over the coastal hills, including mount san bruno. The first officer was flying by hand. About the time we rolled out on 180 degrees, I spotted the cherokee at 10 O'clock position and about 1/2 - 3/4 mi away, level at 3500 ft. He was heading right over the top of us. Because of the close proximity and 500 ft separation, we received a TCASII RA to descend. This concerns me because we also went right over the top of mount san bruno. The RA ended almost as soon as it started, but had we descended, we probably would have received a GPWS 'whoop, whoop, pull up.' this would have put us between the proverbial rock and a hard place!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLC RECEIVED A TCASII RA ON DEP FROM SFO.

Narrative: DEPARTED SFO ON PORTE 3 CZQ TRANSITION. AFTER TKOF CLRNC, TWR GAVE US 3000 FT ALT CLRNC, INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL 15000 FT. CHKED IN WITH DEP. HE GAVE US A L TURN TO 180 DEGS JUST AS WE CROSSED THE SFO 350 DEG RADIAL AT 4 DME (THE SID CALLS FOR A TURN TO 200 DEGS AT THIS POINT). HE ALSO GAVE US A CHEROKEE AS TFC AT 3500 FT VFR NWBOUND (I DON'T REMEMBER THE CLOCK DIRECTION, BUT THE CHEROKEE HAD PASSED OVER THE SFO ARPT). THE WX WAS CLR, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS THE TYPICAL CLOUDS OVER THE COASTAL HILLS, INCLUDING MOUNT SAN BRUNO. THE FO WAS FLYING BY HAND. ABOUT THE TIME WE ROLLED OUT ON 180 DEGS, I SPOTTED THE CHEROKEE AT 10 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 1/2 - 3/4 MI AWAY, LEVEL AT 3500 FT. HE WAS HDG RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF US. BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE PROX AND 500 FT SEPARATION, WE RECEIVED A TCASII RA TO DSND. THIS CONCERNS ME BECAUSE WE ALSO WENT RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF MOUNT SAN BRUNO. THE RA ENDED ALMOST AS SOON AS IT STARTED, BUT HAD WE DSNDED, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE RECEIVED A GPWS 'WHOOP, WHOOP, PULL UP.' THIS WOULD HAVE PUT US BTWN THE PROVERBIAL ROCK AND A HARD PLACE!

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.