E120 crew had a tcasi TA with a lancair in ZZZ class east.

Attributes
ACN	521805
Time
Date	200108
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz.artcc
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	other
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc tower : lax.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Embraer Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	521805
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

On aug/wed/01, I was the captain in an E120 on an IFR flight. Due to fires in the area the visibility was 10 SM in smoke. We departed runway with a left turn to the VOR forward visibility was further reduced as we were looking into the sun. The first officer was flying on the instruments and I was looking outside. Through about 5500 MSL the tcasi alert, 'traffic traffic,' sounded. I looked to the left and saw a lancair at 10:30 O'clock position high. I told the first officer to level off and started pushing on the yolk myself. The first officer then saw the aircraft and continued to push the nose over to level off. The lancair went by 12 O'clock position and 500 ft above us (as per the tcasi readout). We were climbing at least 2000 FPM at 180 KIAS. The lancair appeared to be in level flight. At the time we were still not in radar contact, and center didn't have either of us on the scope. Without an operative tcasi we probably would not have seen the other aircraft until it was too late.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E120 CREW HAD A TCASI TA WITH A LANCAIR IN ZZZ CLASS E.

Narrative: ON AUG/WED/01, I WAS THE CAPT IN AN E120 ON AN IFR FLT. DUE TO FIRES IN THE AREA THE VISIBILITY WAS 10 SM IN SMOKE. WE DEPARTED RWY WITH A L TURN TO THE VOR FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS FURTHER REDUCED AS WE WERE LOOKING INTO THE SUN. THE FO WAS FLYING ON THE INSTS AND I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE. THROUGH ABOUT 5500 MSL THE TCASI ALERT, 'TFC TFC,' SOUNDED. I LOOKED TO THE L AND SAW A LANCAIR AT 10:30 O'CLOCK POS HIGH. I TOLD THE FO TO LEVEL OFF AND STARTED PUSHING ON THE YOLK MYSELF. THE FO THEN SAW THE ACFT AND CONTINUED TO PUSH THE NOSE OVER TO LEVEL OFF. THE LANCAIR WENT BY 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 500 FT ABOVE US (AS PER THE TCASI READOUT). WE WERE CLBING AT LEAST 2000 FPM AT 180 KIAS. THE LANCAIR APPEARED TO BE IN LEVEL FLT. AT THE TIME WE WERE STILL NOT IN RADAR CONTACT, AND CTR DIDN'T HAVE EITHER OF US ON THE SCOPE. WITHOUT AN OPERATIVE TCASI WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE SEEN THE OTHER ACFT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE.

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.