Pilot of VFR C650 departure from sac is frustrated with lack of traffic information from ATC resulti...

Attributes
ACN	597527
Time
Date	200310
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sac.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 3200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon tower : sac.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Citation III, VI, VII
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Make Model Name	Citationjet, C525/C526
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	597527
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Sac tower held us for a right downwind/crosswind departure, off runway 2, after a delayed VFR departure, we were told by tower to fly a right downwind for our sebound track. When handed off to normal we continued our climb en route (139 degree mc), at 3000 ft MSL we were instructed to maintain 3000 ft MSL and turn to a downwind (200 degrees mc) heading, while leveling off and turning right, we both spotted the inbound CE525 which was issued to us by norcal during the last call (instructing us to turn to downwind). While in the climb and for this sudden leveloff I overshot the altitude and elected to turn left and resume climb after spotting the traffic. This had also just produced an 'RA' from TCASII to initiate a climb to avoid a collision. Tower should have issued better advisory based on the radar picture/solution due to the known inbound IFR traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF VFR C650 DEP FROM SAC IS FRUSTRATED WITH LACK OF TFC INFO FROM ATC RESULTING IN TCASII RA.

Narrative: SAC TWR HELD US FOR A R DOWNWIND/XWIND DEP, OFF RWY 2, AFTER A DELAYED VFR DEP, WE WERE TOLD BY TWR TO FLY A R DOWNWIND FOR OUR SEBOUND TRACK. WHEN HANDED OFF TO NORMAL WE CONTINUED OUR CLB ENRTE (139 DEG MC), AT 3000 FT MSL WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT MSL AND TURN TO A DOWNWIND (200 DEGS MC) HEADING, WHILE LEVELING OFF AND TURNING R, WE BOTH SPOTTED THE INBOUND CE525 WHICH WAS ISSUED TO US BY NORCAL DURING THE LAST CALL (INSTRUCTING US TO TURN TO DOWNWIND). WHILE IN THE CLB AND FOR THIS SUDDEN LEVELOFF I OVERSHOT THE ALT AND ELECTED TO TURN L AND RESUME CLB AFTER SPOTTING THE TFC. THIS HAD ALSO JUST PRODUCED AN 'RA' FROM TCASII TO INITIATE A CLB TO AVOID A COLLISION. TWR SHOULD HAVE ISSUED BETTER ADVISORY BASED ON THE RADAR PICTURE/SOLUTION DUE TO THE KNOWN INBOUND IFR TFC.

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.

Pilot of VFR C650 departure from sac is frustrated with lack of traffic information from ATC resulting in TCASII RA.