Narrative:

On takeoff, the tower advised, clear for takeoff runway 21R, maintain runway heading. The first officer (PNF) contacted departure with 'aircraft X out of 700 ft climbing to 4000 ft, runway heading.' the departure controller answered in a lethargic voice with a clearance to FL230. A few mins later, he asked if we were on the mohawk one departure? The first officer replied that was the clearance, but tower had assigned us 'runway heading.' in his still lethargic voice, the departure controller gave us a clearance direct bard (bza). Shortly after this, the departure gave us an additional turn to heading 070 degrees to avoid mexico. (The mexico USA border runs almost north and south in that area.) as we rolled out on the 070 degree heading, the first officer watched as 2 AV8 harriers departed from runway 21R, also on the mohawk one departure. (Yuma is a large military airbase and a jointly located GA airport.) the first officer called out to the rest of the crew, 'look at those fighters coming right at us!' I looked out at the 3 O'clock position, slightly low position and saw the first AV8 in a tight, climbing r-hand turn coming directly toward us. I reduced power and pushed the nose over into a dive. The harrier pilot, either saw us at that moment or was warned by his wingman, and rolled out of his bank while pitching up steeply. While this was happening, the departure controller, still with his lethargic voice was calling to us, the 2 harriers as traffic at 3 O'clock position, northbound and climbing. We as a crew estimate that the first harrier passed within 200 ft horizontally and passed over the tail of our B727 at about 100-150 ft. I never saw the second harrier. I grabbed the microphone and reported to the departure controller that we had just taken 'evasive action.' the controller acknowledged with a lethargic short reply. The harriers were on a UHF frequency so we could not hear their comments to the controller, but we did hear him reply on VHF in a much more 'attentive voice.' 1) the eastbound traffic is out of 7000 ft, climbing. 2) you weren't on frequency yet. (As if to answer the harrier pilots 'why didn't you report this traffic to us?') the controller never seemed concerned that he had nearly killed 4 people. I am assuming that we didn't receive a TCASII warning because the harriers are military aircraft. The coordination between the tower and departure was terrible in this incident. At most military airports that I am familiar with, military jets are cleared for takeoff and because of their speed, told to contact departure at the same time. The harriers should also have been given the same clearance to maintain 4000 ft as are the civilian jets departing yuma. Had either one of those things been done, this would have been a non-event. In our 3 departures from yuma that week, we had been assigned runway heading by the tower each time. The mohawk one departure calls for an immediate right turn direct bard (bza). On our first departure from yuma, we were cleared via the mohawk one departure but tower gave us a left downwind turn. The controllers 'lethargic voice' and attitude were definite factors in this near miss. This was just way too close and I am thankful we were flying in daylight hours for a change and that my first officer spoke up when he did!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLT CREW ON DEP WITH YUM APCH EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH 2 AV8'S AT 7000 FT.

Narrative: ON TKOF, THE TWR ADVISED, CLR FOR TKOF RWY 21R, MAINTAIN RWY HDG. THE FO (PNF) CONTACTED DEP WITH 'ACFT X OUT OF 700 FT CLBING TO 4000 FT, RWY HDG.' THE DEP CTLR ANSWERED IN A LETHARGIC VOICE WITH A CLRNC TO FL230. A FEW MINS LATER, HE ASKED IF WE WERE ON THE MOHAWK ONE DEP? THE FO REPLIED THAT WAS THE CLRNC, BUT TWR HAD ASSIGNED US 'RWY HDG.' IN HIS STILL LETHARGIC VOICE, THE DEP CTLR GAVE US A CLRNC DIRECT BARD (BZA). SHORTLY AFTER THIS, THE DEP GAVE US AN ADDITIONAL TURN TO HDG 070 DEGS TO AVOID MEXICO. (THE MEXICO USA BORDER RUNS ALMOST N AND S IN THAT AREA.) AS WE ROLLED OUT ON THE 070 DEG HDG, THE FO WATCHED AS 2 AV8 HARRIERS DEPARTED FROM RWY 21R, ALSO ON THE MOHAWK ONE DEP. (YUMA IS A LARGE MIL AIRBASE AND A JOINTLY LOCATED GA ARPT.) THE FO CALLED OUT TO THE REST OF THE CREW, 'LOOK AT THOSE FIGHTERS COMING RIGHT AT US!' I LOOKED OUT AT THE 3 O'CLOCK POS, SLIGHTLY LOW POS AND SAW THE FIRST AV8 IN A TIGHT, CLBING R-HAND TURN COMING DIRECTLY TOWARD US. I REDUCED PWR AND PUSHED THE NOSE OVER INTO A DIVE. THE HARRIER PLT, EITHER SAW US AT THAT MOMENT OR WAS WARNED BY HIS WINGMAN, AND ROLLED OUT OF HIS BANK WHILE PITCHING UP STEEPLY. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING, THE DEP CTLR, STILL WITH HIS LETHARGIC VOICE WAS CALLING TO US, THE 2 HARRIERS AS TFC AT 3 O'CLOCK POS, NBOUND AND CLBING. WE AS A CREW ESTIMATE THAT THE FIRST HARRIER PASSED WITHIN 200 FT HORIZLY AND PASSED OVER THE TAIL OF OUR B727 AT ABOUT 100-150 FT. I NEVER SAW THE SECOND HARRIER. I GRABBED THE MIKE AND RPTED TO THE DEP CTLR THAT WE HAD JUST TAKEN 'EVASIVE ACTION.' THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED WITH A LETHARGIC SHORT REPLY. THE HARRIERS WERE ON A UHF FREQ SO WE COULD NOT HEAR THEIR COMMENTS TO THE CTLR, BUT WE DID HEAR HIM REPLY ON VHF IN A MUCH MORE 'ATTENTIVE VOICE.' 1) THE EBOUND TFC IS OUT OF 7000 FT, CLBING. 2) YOU WEREN'T ON FREQ YET. (AS IF TO ANSWER THE HARRIER PLTS 'WHY DIDN'T YOU RPT THIS TFC TO US?') THE CTLR NEVER SEEMED CONCERNED THAT HE HAD NEARLY KILLED 4 PEOPLE. I AM ASSUMING THAT WE DIDN'T RECEIVE A TCASII WARNING BECAUSE THE HARRIERS ARE MIL ACFT. THE COORD BTWN THE TWR AND DEP WAS TERRIBLE IN THIS INCIDENT. AT MOST MIL ARPTS THAT I AM FAMILIAR WITH, MIL JETS ARE CLRED FOR TKOF AND BECAUSE OF THEIR SPD, TOLD TO CONTACT DEP AT THE SAME TIME. THE HARRIERS SHOULD ALSO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE SAME CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT AS ARE THE CIVILIAN JETS DEPARTING YUMA. HAD EITHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS BEEN DONE, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A NON-EVENT. IN OUR 3 DEPS FROM YUMA THAT WK, WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED RWY HDG BY THE TWR EACH TIME. THE MOHAWK ONE DEP CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE R TURN DIRECT BARD (BZA). ON OUR FIRST DEP FROM YUMA, WE WERE CLRED VIA THE MOHAWK ONE DEP BUT TWR GAVE US A L DOWNWIND TURN. THE CTLRS 'LETHARGIC VOICE' AND ATTITUDE WERE DEFINITE FACTORS IN THIS NEAR MISS. THIS WAS JUST WAY TOO CLOSE AND I AM THANKFUL WE WERE FLYING IN DAYLIGHT HRS FOR A CHANGE AND THAT MY FO SPOKE UP WHEN HE DID!

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.