Narrative:

At wilmington, de, radio contact to ground control in many areas is poor. We radioed several times with no success, finally calling on tower frequency. We were then told, somewhat rudely, that ground had been calling us, and to go back. We then called ground again and the controller said that 'he had not even heard us' and then gave us taxi clearance. We were then held for around 15 mins while they allowed every other airplane to take off that was waiting and finally gave us clearance for position and hold on runway 27 at ilg. The controller was clearly not happy that we had called the tower when unable to contact ground. We departed ilg at XA10Z from runway 27 and had a normal takeoff. At approximately 700 ft, we had a warning from TCASII and we both started looking out the window. Going through 1000 ft, we were advised to 'stop vertical ascent' at which time the PF forcefully pushed the yoke forward, stopping 500 ft short of our cleared altitude of 2000 ft. Had he not done this, we would have had an near midair collision with a beech bonanza that was on a downwind to another runway at the same airport. If it was a little bit closer, I could have made out the n-numbers. I told the controllers that we had just had a TA/RA and that we were taking evasive action to avoid the aircraft and that we were going to have to file a report on this. The tower said that 'this is class D airspace' and that traffic avoidance is our problem. The PF got on the radio and asked why this could be true if we were on an IFR flight plan. The tower then refused to talk to us anymore. We departed the area and switched over to the departure frequency, and obtained the telephone number of the tower and called from the air 10 mins later. The supervisor came on and told the PF that 'we were in radio contact with the bonanza, but did not know where he was, and that possibly we should have not been cleared to take off until this was cleared up.' the controller refused to talk to us and we feel that it was to protect him from action on our part. Had it not been for TCASII on this flight, you would be reading this from a newspaper, and I would be another statistic. The tower and its staff would have caused the loss of an airplane, its 8 passenger, and 3 crew, for no reason. They are arrogant, unfriendly and not at all helpful and seem to have forgotten why they are in the business of aviation. It certainly is not to help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN TFC PATTERN AT ILG COUPLED WITH CTLR AND PLT ATTITUDE PROBS.

Narrative: AT WILMINGTON, DE, RADIO CONTACT TO GND CTL IN MANY AREAS IS POOR. WE RADIOED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS, FINALLY CALLING ON TWR FREQ. WE WERE THEN TOLD, SOMEWHAT RUDELY, THAT GND HAD BEEN CALLING US, AND TO GO BACK. WE THEN CALLED GND AGAIN AND THE CTLR SAID THAT 'HE HAD NOT EVEN HEARD US' AND THEN GAVE US TAXI CLRNC. WE WERE THEN HELD FOR AROUND 15 MINS WHILE THEY ALLOWED EVERY OTHER AIRPLANE TO TAKE OFF THAT WAS WAITING AND FINALLY GAVE US CLRNC FOR POS AND HOLD ON RWY 27 AT ILG. THE CTLR WAS CLRLY NOT HAPPY THAT WE HAD CALLED THE TWR WHEN UNABLE TO CONTACT GND. WE DEPARTED ILG AT XA10Z FROM RWY 27 AND HAD A NORMAL TKOF. AT APPROX 700 FT, WE HAD A WARNING FROM TCASII AND WE BOTH STARTED LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW. GOING THROUGH 1000 FT, WE WERE ADVISED TO 'STOP VERT ASCENT' AT WHICH TIME THE PF FORCEFULLY PUSHED THE YOKE FORWARD, STOPPING 500 FT SHORT OF OUR CLRED ALT OF 2000 FT. HAD HE NOT DONE THIS, WE WOULD HAVE HAD AN NMAC WITH A BEECH BONANZA THAT WAS ON A DOWNWIND TO ANOTHER RWY AT THE SAME ARPT. IF IT WAS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER, I COULD HAVE MADE OUT THE N-NUMBERS. I TOLD THE CTLRS THAT WE HAD JUST HAD A TA/RA AND THAT WE WERE TAKING EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID THE ACFT AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO FILE A RPT ON THIS. THE TWR SAID THAT 'THIS IS CLASS D AIRSPACE' AND THAT TFC AVOIDANCE IS OUR PROB. THE PF GOT ON THE RADIO AND ASKED WHY THIS COULD BE TRUE IF WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE TWR THEN REFUSED TO TALK TO US ANYMORE. WE DEPARTED THE AREA AND SWITCHED OVER TO THE DEP FREQ, AND OBTAINED THE TELEPHONE NUMBER OF THE TWR AND CALLED FROM THE AIR 10 MINS LATER. THE SUPVR CAME ON AND TOLD THE PF THAT 'WE WERE IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE BONANZA, BUT DID NOT KNOW WHERE HE WAS, AND THAT POSSIBLY WE SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN CLRED TO TAKE OFF UNTIL THIS WAS CLRED UP.' THE CTLR REFUSED TO TALK TO US AND WE FEEL THAT IT WAS TO PROTECT HIM FROM ACTION ON OUR PART. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR TCASII ON THIS FLT, YOU WOULD BE READING THIS FROM A NEWSPAPER, AND I WOULD BE ANOTHER STATISTIC. THE TWR AND ITS STAFF WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE LOSS OF AN AIRPLANE, ITS 8 PAX, AND 3 CREW, FOR NO REASON. THEY ARE ARROGANT, UNFRIENDLY AND NOT AT ALL HELPFUL AND SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN WHY THEY ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF AVIATION. IT CERTAINLY IS NOT TO HELP.

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.