Narrative:

Departed jnu on the cushi 1 departure which takes us straight out the localizer. After clean-up and checklist completion, I settled into the climb, alert and heads up leaving an extremely busy airport. About 7-8 mi out, climbing through 3000 ft MSL, I looked ahead and observed a small aircraft, dead ahead, same direction, and an obvious potential conflict. Our closure rate was fast, and the first officer, the PF, never fixed on him until I began initiating an evasive maneuver. We jointly executed a very smooth slight left turn and slight pitch up and watched the aircraft pass just below and to the right of our flight path. Because of snow covered mountain back drop, it was extremely difficult to spot this aircraft. Because this operator chooses to operate their aircraft with no transponder, we didn't have the luxury of a TCASII RA. Why this particular pilot was operating dead center on the jnu localizer (our well known departure path) I have no idea. He didn't depart quite close enough for us to be looking for him. There was no heads up from jnu tower, no radar coverage that low, and no TCASII. In my opinion it was just plain luck that day that avoided disaster. It would have been an easy target to miss. I was well rested and fortunately not at the end of a 6 segment, 12 hour day. The FAA officials who interviewed us upon arrival in anc thanked me when they left for being alert enough to see and avoid. After 23 yrs of flying, this event has had an impact on my outlook in terms of pilot fatigue and long duty days. Basically, it was my alertness and nothing else which avoided a midair disaster.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC. B737-200 CAPT HELPED THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING, TURN TO AVOID A PIPER CHEROKEE 6 DURING CLBOUT FROM JNU.

Narrative: DEPARTED JNU ON THE CUSHI 1 DEP WHICH TAKES US STRAIGHT OUT THE LOC. AFTER CLEAN-UP AND CHKLIST COMPLETION, I SETTLED INTO THE CLB, ALERT AND HEADS UP LEAVING AN EXTREMELY BUSY ARPT. ABOUT 7-8 MI OUT, CLBING THROUGH 3000 FT MSL, I LOOKED AHEAD AND OBSERVED A SMALL ACFT, DEAD AHEAD, SAME DIRECTION, AND AN OBVIOUS POTENTIAL CONFLICT. OUR CLOSURE RATE WAS FAST, AND THE FO, THE PF, NEVER FIXED ON HIM UNTIL I BEGAN INITIATING AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. WE JOINTLY EXECUTED A VERY SMOOTH SLIGHT L TURN AND SLIGHT PITCH UP AND WATCHED THE ACFT PASS JUST BELOW AND TO THE R OF OUR FLT PATH. BECAUSE OF SNOW COVERED MOUNTAIN BACK DROP, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SPOT THIS ACFT. BECAUSE THIS OPERATOR CHOOSES TO OPERATE THEIR ACFT WITH NO XPONDER, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF A TCASII RA. WHY THIS PARTICULAR PLT WAS OPERATING DEAD CTR ON THE JNU LOC (OUR WELL KNOWN DEP PATH) I HAVE NO IDEA. HE DIDN'T DEPART QUITE CLOSE ENOUGH FOR US TO BE LOOKING FOR HIM. THERE WAS NO HEADS UP FROM JNU TWR, NO RADAR COVERAGE THAT LOW, AND NO TCASII. IN MY OPINION IT WAS JUST PLAIN LUCK THAT DAY THAT AVOIDED DISASTER. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EASY TARGET TO MISS. I WAS WELL RESTED AND FORTUNATELY NOT AT THE END OF A 6 SEGMENT, 12 HR DAY. THE FAA OFFICIALS WHO INTERVIEWED US UPON ARR IN ANC THANKED ME WHEN THEY LEFT FOR BEING ALERT ENOUGH TO SEE AND AVOID. AFTER 23 YRS OF FLYING, THIS EVENT HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON MY OUTLOOK IN TERMS OF PLT FATIGUE AND LONG DUTY DAYS. BASICALLY, IT WAS MY ALERTNESS AND NOTHING ELSE WHICH AVOIDED A MIDAIR DISASTER.

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.