Successive departure incident at bwi.

Attributes
ACN	578897
Time
Date	200304
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl single value : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bwi.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-90 Series (DC-9-90) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 0 flight time total : 22 flight time type : 19
ASRS Report	578897
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical
Independent Detector	other other : observer
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

My wife and I saw 2 planes almost collide during climb out from bwi on apr/wed/03 at XA21 local, while we were driving along the baltimore-washington parkway (md-295) on our way to bwi airport. A commercial MD90 was in a slight climbing turn to the left after takeoff, about 2-3 mi downrange, at approximately 2500 ft AGL, when a small business jet (probably lear jet) passed within a few hundred ft of separation, and through, co-altitude with the MD90. The business jet approached the MD90 from the 5 O'clock position and almost appeared as if it was trying to fly in trail formation, momentarily, with the MD90. The business jet passed to the rear of the MD90 from right to left, and passed through co-altitude while continuing to climb and accelerate past the MD90. The airspeed of the business jet exceeded that of the MD90, passing above and to the left of the MD90 at the 11 O'clock position. The business jet appeared to be maneuvering away from the MD90 by turning inside, and climbing when we were no longer able to observe the incident due to the tree canopy. It appears the tower cleared both aircraft for takeoff at nearly the same time, or the business jet failed to hold long enough for departure, and the acceleration was great enough to overtake the MD90 after delaying departure. It appears possible that both aircraft were cleared for takeoff from the same runway (runway 28) or parallel runways (runway 33L for the MD90 and runway 33R for the business jet). Another possibility is that one was cleared for departure on runway 28 and another was on runway 33L. In any case, the incident seemed to be caused by the departure controller, and was not avoided by the business jet pilot, who had a clear visual view of the MD90. The business jet should have turned to the right and decreased altitude to avoid the MD90. The controller could have given incorrect departure vectoring and/or departure clearance instructions to either aircraft or, did not delay departure for the business jet after the slower MD90 departed. If the business jet was departing on instruments, the visual detection of the MD90 could have been more difficult, but conditions at the time were excellent for visual contact. Sun position did not seem to be a factor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SUCCESSIVE DEP INCIDENT AT BWI.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND I SAW 2 PLANES ALMOST COLLIDE DURING CLBOUT FROM BWI ON APR/WED/03 AT XA21 LCL, WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ALONG THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON PARKWAY (MD-295) ON OUR WAY TO BWI ARPT. A COMMERCIAL MD90 WAS IN A SLIGHT CLBING TURN TO THE L AFTER TKOF, ABOUT 2-3 MI DOWNRANGE, AT APPROX 2500 FT AGL, WHEN A SMALL BUSINESS JET (PROBABLY LEAR JET) PASSED WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FT OF SEPARATION, AND THROUGH, CO-ALT WITH THE MD90. THE BUSINESS JET APCHED THE MD90 FROM THE 5 O'CLOCK POS AND ALMOST APPEARED AS IF IT WAS TRYING TO FLY IN TRAIL FORMATION, MOMENTARILY, WITH THE MD90. THE BUSINESS JET PASSED TO THE REAR OF THE MD90 FROM R TO L, AND PASSED THROUGH CO-ALT WHILE CONTINUING TO CLB AND ACCELERATE PAST THE MD90. THE AIRSPD OF THE BUSINESS JET EXCEEDED THAT OF THE MD90, PASSING ABOVE AND TO THE L OF THE MD90 AT THE 11 O'CLOCK POS. THE BUSINESS JET APPEARED TO BE MANEUVERING AWAY FROM THE MD90 BY TURNING INSIDE, AND CLBING WHEN WE WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO OBSERVE THE INCIDENT DUE TO THE TREE CANOPY. IT APPEARS THE TWR CLRED BOTH ACFT FOR TKOF AT NEARLY THE SAME TIME, OR THE BUSINESS JET FAILED TO HOLD LONG ENOUGH FOR DEP, AND THE ACCELERATION WAS GREAT ENOUGH TO OVERTAKE THE MD90 AFTER DELAYING DEP. IT APPEARS POSSIBLE THAT BOTH ACFT WERE CLRED FOR TKOF FROM THE SAME RWY (RWY 28) OR PARALLEL RWYS (RWY 33L FOR THE MD90 AND RWY 33R FOR THE BUSINESS JET). ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT ONE WAS CLRED FOR DEP ON RWY 28 AND ANOTHER WAS ON RWY 33L. IN ANY CASE, THE INCIDENT SEEMED TO BE CAUSED BY THE DEP CTLR, AND WAS NOT AVOIDED BY THE BUSINESS JET PLT, WHO HAD A CLR VISUAL VIEW OF THE MD90. THE BUSINESS JET SHOULD HAVE TURNED TO THE R AND DECREASED ALT TO AVOID THE MD90. THE CTLR COULD HAVE GIVEN INCORRECT DEP VECTORING AND/OR DEP CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS TO EITHER ACFT OR, DID NOT DELAY DEP FOR THE BUSINESS JET AFTER THE SLOWER MD90 DEPARTED. IF THE BUSINESS JET WAS DEPARTING ON INSTS, THE VISUAL DETECTION OF THE MD90 COULD HAVE BEEN MORE DIFFICULT, BUT CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE EXCELLENT FOR VISUAL CONTACT. SUN POS DID NOT SEEM TO BE A FACTOR.

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.