Narrative:

We departed runway 4 and as we made our left turn towards the VOR for the IFR departure, we received a TCASII aural warning 'traffic, traffic.' I looked out my window, behind the wing, and saw a single engine cessna (cessna #2) no more than 500 ft away and we were climbing through his altitude. The captain observed the TCASII when the aural warning was heard and stated that his altitude was +200 ft. We continued our turn, climbed above the cessna. This cessna was on a left downwind for runway 10. Just prior to the TCASII warning, we were handed off to ZSE and were not in radio contact with the tower during or after our near miss. The rest of the flight continued uneventfully. It occurs to me that contributing causes of this are: 1) controller getting overwhelmed by multiple aircraft needing visual separation (non-radar tower). 2) controller trying to alleviate lengthened taxies or patterns for all aircraft in the area by allowing departures and arrs on multiple runways. 3) cessna pilot arguing with controller at obviously critical time. 4) controller handed us off to ZSE prior to us leaving the pattern area. 5) near failure of my flight to see and avoid, relying on controller too much. 6) lack of radar in tower with proper advisory electronics. The following helped avoid a potentially fatal outcome: 1) TCASII warning. 2) IFR departure procedure. 3) dumb luck. 4) visual contact with cessna after TCASII alert.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF E120 ENCOUNTERED NMAC ON TKOF FROM RDM. MULTIPLE VFR TFC USING 2 RWYS AND A SINGLE ATCT LCL CTLR COMBINED TO FACILITATE THIS ENCOUNTER.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED RWY 4 AND AS WE MADE OUR L TURN TOWARDS THE VOR FOR THE IFR DEP, WE RECEIVED A TCASII AURAL WARNING 'TFC, TFC.' I LOOKED OUT MY WINDOW, BEHIND THE WING, AND SAW A SINGLE ENG CESSNA (CESSNA #2) NO MORE THAN 500 FT AWAY AND WE WERE CLBING THROUGH HIS ALT. THE CAPT OBSERVED THE TCASII WHEN THE AURAL WARNING WAS HEARD AND STATED THAT HIS ALT WAS +200 FT. WE CONTINUED OUR TURN, CLBED ABOVE THE CESSNA. THIS CESSNA WAS ON A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 10. JUST PRIOR TO THE TCASII WARNING, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZSE AND WERE NOT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE TWR DURING OR AFTER OUR NEAR MISS. THE REST OF THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. IT OCCURS TO ME THAT CONTRIBUTING CAUSES OF THIS ARE: 1) CTLR GETTING OVERWHELMED BY MULTIPLE ACFT NEEDING VISUAL SEPARATION (NON-RADAR TWR). 2) CTLR TRYING TO ALLEVIATE LENGTHENED TAXIES OR PATTERNS FOR ALL ACFT IN THE AREA BY ALLOWING DEPS AND ARRS ON MULTIPLE RWYS. 3) CESSNA PLT ARGUING WITH CTLR AT OBVIOUSLY CRITICAL TIME. 4) CTLR HANDED US OFF TO ZSE PRIOR TO US LEAVING THE PATTERN AREA. 5) NEAR FAILURE OF MY FLT TO SEE AND AVOID, RELYING ON CTLR TOO MUCH. 6) LACK OF RADAR IN TWR WITH PROPER ADVISORY ELECTRONICS. THE FOLLOWING HELPED AVOID A POTENTIALLY FATAL OUTCOME: 1) TCASII WARNING. 2) IFR DEP PROC. 3) DUMB LUCK. 4) VISUAL CONTACT WITH CESSNA AFTER TCASII ALERT.

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.