Narrative:

We departed mlb on mar/xa/01 at approximately XA00 in an MD88 aircraft. Normal departure was climb to 5000 ft, runway heading, but we were given climb to 4000 ft on runway heading. As we passed through approximately 2500 ft, dab approach said 'traffic 12 O'clock position at 4000 ft' (can't remember exact mileage, but only a few mi). I told captain that I did not see the traffic and to ask the controller for a vector since we were cleared to the same altitude. (We didn't know this at the time, but dab was talking to this light aircraft.) what bothered me was the clearance to their altitude with them in at our 12 O'clock position, dab came back with a turn to approximately 330 degrees (we took off west), climb to 3500 ft now. The captain then spotted the cessna (or whatever type of light aircraft it was) pass fairly close off our left side, but at a safe distance (nothing alarming). As we turned to the new heading, we got a TCASII alert on another light plane directly where we were turning to. We didn't get an RA and probably stayed 500 ft under him. Dab never saw this traffic (why I'm not sure since we got a TA, he must have been squawking on his transponder). We actually leveled off near 3200 ft since we could see him above us and probably 1 mi or so away. These were not near misses, but I felt like they were potentially dangerous sits. Dab said that the aircraft were legal to be where they were, but it was very uncomfortable dodging them -- for us and our passenger. The second aircraft bothers me in that it was flying right across the departure end of mlb, from north to south, and apparently not talking to anyone. The reason for this report was just to address the safety issue of light aircraft around mlb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF AN ACR MLG COMPLAINS ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE USED BY APCH CTLR HANDLING OF VFR TFC. HE BELIEVES THAT ATC SHOULD GIVE MORE SEPARATION VECTORS TO ALL ACFT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED MLB ON MAR/XA/01 AT APPROX XA00 IN AN MD88 ACFT. NORMAL DEP WAS CLB TO 5000 FT, RWY HDG, BUT WE WERE GIVEN CLB TO 4000 FT ON RWY HDG. AS WE PASSED THROUGH APPROX 2500 FT, DAB APCH SAID 'TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS AT 4000 FT' (CAN'T REMEMBER EXACT MILEAGE, BUT ONLY A FEW MI). I TOLD CAPT THAT I DID NOT SEE THE TFC AND TO ASK THE CTLR FOR A VECTOR SINCE WE WERE CLRED TO THE SAME ALT. (WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS AT THE TIME, BUT DAB WAS TALKING TO THIS LIGHT ACFT.) WHAT BOTHERED ME WAS THE CLRNC TO THEIR ALT WITH THEM IN AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS, DAB CAME BACK WITH A TURN TO APPROX 330 DEGS (WE TOOK OFF W), CLB TO 3500 FT NOW. THE CAPT THEN SPOTTED THE CESSNA (OR WHATEVER TYPE OF LIGHT ACFT IT WAS) PASS FAIRLY CLOSE OFF OUR L SIDE, BUT AT A SAFE DISTANCE (NOTHING ALARMING). AS WE TURNED TO THE NEW HDG, WE GOT A TCASII ALERT ON ANOTHER LIGHT PLANE DIRECTLY WHERE WE WERE TURNING TO. WE DIDN'T GET AN RA AND PROBABLY STAYED 500 FT UNDER HIM. DAB NEVER SAW THIS TFC (WHY I'M NOT SURE SINCE WE GOT A TA, HE MUST HAVE BEEN SQUAWKING ON HIS XPONDER). WE ACTUALLY LEVELED OFF NEAR 3200 FT SINCE WE COULD SEE HIM ABOVE US AND PROBABLY 1 MI OR SO AWAY. THESE WERE NOT NEAR MISSES, BUT I FELT LIKE THEY WERE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITS. DAB SAID THAT THE ACFT WERE LEGAL TO BE WHERE THEY WERE, BUT IT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE DODGING THEM -- FOR US AND OUR PAX. THE SECOND ACFT BOTHERS ME IN THAT IT WAS FLYING RIGHT ACROSS THE DEP END OF MLB, FROM N TO S, AND APPARENTLY NOT TALKING TO ANYONE. THE REASON FOR THIS RPT WAS JUST TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY ISSUE OF LIGHT ACFT AROUND MLB.

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.