Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff on runway 9L at about XA15 from fll on an IFR flight plan to atl. On climb out at about 800 ft; the tower called traffic at 11-12 O'clock position at 1500 ft. There was a layer of thin cirrus clouds and initially we could not see the aircraft. At about 1000 ft; we were able to see the position lights of the traffic moving to 12 O'clock position and estimating 1-2 mi. I decided to level off and started a shallow descent to 800 ft. Our TCASII indicated a traffic alert; but we never received an RA. The traffic continued sbound and; when clear; we then resumed our climb. The tower controller advised us that the traffic was south of our position and apologized prior to switching us to departure control. Both my first officer and I felt that had we continued our initial climb; we would have been at best a very near miss. We received no directive calls from the tower; only TA's. I believe that the controller may have not checked for VFR traffic approaching our departure route as he was very busy sequencing arriving and departing aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH TFC AT 1000 FT ON DEP FROM FLL.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 9L AT ABOUT XA15 FROM FLL ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ATL. ON CLBOUT AT ABOUT 800 FT; THE TWR CALLED TFC AT 11-12 O'CLOCK POS AT 1500 FT. THERE WAS A LAYER OF THIN CIRRUS CLOUDS AND INITIALLY WE COULD NOT SEE THE ACFT. AT ABOUT 1000 FT; WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THE POS LIGHTS OF THE TFC MOVING TO 12 O'CLOCK POS AND ESTIMATING 1-2 MI. I DECIDED TO LEVEL OFF AND STARTED A SHALLOW DSCNT TO 800 FT. OUR TCASII INDICATED A TFC ALERT; BUT WE NEVER RECEIVED AN RA. THE TFC CONTINUED SBOUND AND; WHEN CLR; WE THEN RESUMED OUR CLB. THE TWR CTLR ADVISED US THAT THE TFC WAS S OF OUR POS AND APOLOGIZED PRIOR TO SWITCHING US TO DEP CTL. BOTH MY FO AND I FELT THAT HAD WE CONTINUED OUR INITIAL CLB; WE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT BEST A VERY NEAR MISS. WE RECEIVED NO DIRECTIVE CALLS FROM THE TWR; ONLY TA'S. I BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR MAY HAVE NOT CHKED FOR VFR TFC APCHING OUR DEP RTE AS HE WAS VERY BUSY SEQUENCING ARRIVING AND DEPARTING ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.