Narrative:

On departure out of sna (musel 6 departure dag transition) over sli VOR. Talking to socal controller; level at 14000 ft. The controller called out a conquest traffic at 11-12 O'clock position; heading south and above us. The captain responded with a possible target in that general area. The controller told us the conquest traffic had us in sight and would maintain visual contact with us and we now are cleared to climb to FL230 (FL250; do not remember exactly). Shortly after starting the climb; we received a traffic TCAS advisory and the aircraft was shown in the relative same position as the visual target. I found that the visual target was hard to identify the distance; direction and altitude. The only light that I saw on the target was a single bright white light. The TCAS showed the target at +900 ft. Almost immediately we received a descent RA and the command was 500 ft down. I disconnected the autoplt and pitched smoothly to follow the command. The TCAS then gave us an increase descent RA with a command of more than 1000 FPM. I could not tell at the time if we were gaining or losing separation with the white light target of if that was the conquest. By the time I had pitched to a steeper descent; I saw the target in the corner of my eye; and it looked like it now was in a steep dive. I started to pitch up and the TCAS now called an RA climb with more than 1000 ft up. The aircraft passed well within 500 ft. Since the target was never fully idented as the target; we followed the TCAS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW WHILE ON DEP FROM SNA WITH SCT TRACON AT 14000 FT EXPERIENCED TCAS RA WITH VFR ACFT DURING VISUAL SEPARATION.

Narrative: ON DEP OUT OF SNA (MUSEL 6 DEP DAG TRANSITION) OVER SLI VOR. TALKING TO SOCAL CTLR; LEVEL AT 14000 FT. THE CTLR CALLED OUT A CONQUEST TFC AT 11-12 O'CLOCK POS; HDG S AND ABOVE US. THE CAPT RESPONDED WITH A POSSIBLE TARGET IN THAT GENERAL AREA. THE CTLR TOLD US THE CONQUEST TFC HAD US IN SIGHT AND WOULD MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH US AND WE NOW ARE CLRED TO CLB TO FL230 (FL250; DO NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY). SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE CLB; WE RECEIVED A TFC TCAS ADVISORY AND THE ACFT WAS SHOWN IN THE RELATIVE SAME POS AS THE VISUAL TARGET. I FOUND THAT THE VISUAL TARGET WAS HARD TO IDENT THE DISTANCE; DIRECTION AND ALT. THE ONLY LIGHT THAT I SAW ON THE TARGET WAS A SINGLE BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT. THE TCAS SHOWED THE TARGET AT +900 FT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WE RECEIVED A DSCNT RA AND THE COMMAND WAS 500 FT DOWN. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND PITCHED SMOOTHLY TO FOLLOW THE COMMAND. THE TCAS THEN GAVE US AN INCREASE DSCNT RA WITH A COMMAND OF MORE THAN 1000 FPM. I COULD NOT TELL AT THE TIME IF WE WERE GAINING OR LOSING SEPARATION WITH THE WHITE LIGHT TARGET OF IF THAT WAS THE CONQUEST. BY THE TIME I HAD PITCHED TO A STEEPER DSCNT; I SAW THE TARGET IN THE CORNER OF MY EYE; AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT NOW WAS IN A STEEP DIVE. I STARTED TO PITCH UP AND THE TCAS NOW CALLED AN RA CLB WITH MORE THAN 1000 FT UP. THE ACFT PASSED WELL WITHIN 500 FT. SINCE THE TARGET WAS NEVER FULLY IDENTED AS THE TARGET; WE FOLLOWED THE TCAS.

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.