Narrative:

We were cleared to climb and maintain 11000 ft MSL; on an assigned heading of 050 degrees. Immediately after rolling out on heading 050 degrees; the TCASII gave us a 'traffic; traffic' and I observed traffic at our altitude (6000 ft) opposite direction; closing fast. ATC immediately instructed us to 'turn right immediately to heading 100 degrees;' and subsequently ATC instructed our opposite direction to turn immediately 45 degrees right. As the traffic passed us; the TCASII showed him to be less than 2 mi; still at our altitude. The opposite direction traffic was a learjet. We did everything we were instructed to do; and did absolutely nothing wrong. Neither did the learjet. This is a simple case of ATC losing separation during his handling of our flight. Before handing us off to the next sector; the controller thanked both our flight and the learjet for 'our help.' allowing us to climb through an altitude occupied by opposite direction traffic constitutes a dangerous safety hazard. It is further compounded by turning us into the traffic so as to cause us to be within mere seconds of collision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 DEP FROM JFK EXPERIENCED TCASII TA WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT 6000 FT; ATC ISSUED A TURN TO THE CONFLICTING ACFT.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT MSL; ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 050 DEGS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROLLING OUT ON HDG 050 DEGS; THE TCASII GAVE US A 'TFC; TFC' AND I OBSERVED TFC AT OUR ALT (6000 FT) OPPOSITE DIRECTION; CLOSING FAST. ATC IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED US TO 'TURN R IMMEDIATELY TO HDG 100 DEGS;' AND SUBSEQUENTLY ATC INSTRUCTED OUR OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO TURN IMMEDIATELY 45 DEGS R. AS THE TFC PASSED US; THE TCASII SHOWED HIM TO BE LESS THAN 2 MI; STILL AT OUR ALT. THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC WAS A LEARJET. WE DID EVERYTHING WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO DO; AND DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG. NEITHER DID THE LEARJET. THIS IS A SIMPLE CASE OF ATC LOSING SEPARATION DURING HIS HANDLING OF OUR FLT. BEFORE HANDING US OFF TO THE NEXT SECTOR; THE CTLR THANKED BOTH OUR FLT AND THE LEARJET FOR 'OUR HELP.' ALLOWING US TO CLB THROUGH AN ALT OCCUPIED BY OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC CONSTITUTES A DANGEROUS SAFETY HAZARD. IT IS FURTHER COMPOUNDED BY TURNING US INTO THE TFC SO AS TO CAUSE US TO BE WITHIN MERE SECONDS OF COLLISION.

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.