Near midair collision at 5000 ft northwest of sua between PRM1 and light twin.

Attributes
ACN	714976
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sua.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pbi.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Premier 1
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pbi.tracon
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	714976
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	vertical : 150
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Departing sua; I was given an initial heading of 290 degrees and a climb to 2000 ft after takeoff on runway 30 and told to contact palm beach departure. Palm beach departure instructed a climb to 5000 ft and a turn to a heading of 310. Upon reaching 5000 ft; I immediately received a TCAS ii warning with corrective action being demanded. I received a 'pull up pull up' directive from the aircraft due to a small multi-engine aircraft closing in on our flight path. After taking proactive measures; I was able to visually verify this multi-engine aircraft passing only 100-200 ft below. Had it not been for the installation of a TCAS ii system in my aircraft; there is no doubt in my mind there would have been an in flight collision. Upon reaching 5000 ft; when I initially received TCAS ii warnings; the palm beach controller came on the frequency attempting to contact me. It was at this point that he was stepped on by other aircraft on frequency; resulting in a garbled and unreadable communication. In my opinion there are several contributing factors to this incident. The multiple radar (stuart tower; palm beach approach; miami center) facilities responsible for the airspace over and around sua leads to numerous hand offs within a short period of time; causing delayed instructions. The large amount of aircraft; to include large jets and small single engine piston make the airspace congested and therefore decreases safety. The miscommunication/lack of communication from the palm beach departure controller; and the unsafe vector and altitude he assigned me were also an area of concern. It is my opinion that control of the airspace should be delegated to one facility to increase safety; pilot and controller communication; and decrease both pilot and controller confusion.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the encroaching aircraft had departed sua a few minutes before the reporter then turned back toward the airport and continued to climb. This caught the controller off guard and he was unable to communicate in a timely manner due to the frequency congestion. The reporter obtained this information from pbi approach via telephone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC AT 5000 FT NW OF SUA BETWEEN PRM1 AND LIGHT TWIN.

Narrative: DEPARTING SUA; I WAS GIVEN AN INITIAL HDG OF 290 DEGS AND A CLIMB TO 2000 FT AFTER TAKEOFF ON RWY 30 AND TOLD TO CONTACT PALM BEACH DEP. PALM BEACH DEP INSTRUCTED A CLIMB TO 5000 FT AND A TURN TO A HDG OF 310. UPON REACHING 5000 FT; I IMMEDIATELY RECEIVED A TCAS II WARNING WITH CORRECTIVE ACTION BEING DEMANDED. I RECEIVED A 'PULL UP PULL UP' DIRECTIVE FROM THE ACFT DUE TO A SMALL MULTI-ENG ACFT CLOSING IN ON OUR FLIGHT PATH. AFTER TAKING PROACTIVE MEASURES; I WAS ABLE TO VISUALLY VERIFY THIS MULTI-ENG ACFT PASSING ONLY 100-200 FT BELOW. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A TCAS II SYSTEM IN MY ACFT; THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN IN FLIGHT COLLISION. UPON REACHING 5000 FT; WHEN I INITIALLY RECEIVED TCAS II WARNINGS; THE PALM BEACH CTLR CAME ON THE FREQUENCY ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT ME. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT HE WAS STEPPED ON BY OTHER ACFT ON FREQUENCY; RESULTING IN A GARBLED AND UNREADABLE COMMUNICATION. IN MY OPINION THERE ARE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT. THE MULTIPLE RADAR (STUART TOWER; PALM BEACH APCH; MIAMI CENTER) FACILITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AIRSPACE OVER AND AROUND SUA LEADS TO NUMEROUS HAND OFFS WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME; CAUSING DELAYED INSTRUCTIONS. THE LARGE AMOUNT OF ACFT; TO INCLUDE LARGE JETS AND SMALL SINGLE ENG PISTON MAKE THE AIRSPACE CONGESTED AND THEREFORE DECREASES SAFETY. THE MISCOMMUNICATION/LACK OF COMMUNICATION FROM THE PALM BEACH DEP CTLR; AND THE UNSAFE VECTOR AND ALTITUDE HE ASSIGNED ME WERE ALSO AN AREA OF CONCERN. IT IS MY OPINION THAT CONTROL OF THE AIRSPACE SHOULD BE DELEGATED TO ONE FACILITY TO INCREASE SAFETY; PLT AND CTLR COMMUNICATION; AND DECREASE BOTH PLT AND CTLR CONFUSION.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ENCROACHING ACFT HAD DEPARTED SUA A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE RPTR THEN TURNED BACK TOWARD THE ARPT AND CONTINUED TO CLB. THIS CAUGHT THE CTLR OFF GUARD AND HE WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE IN A TIMELY MANNER DUE TO THE FREQ CONGESTION. THE RPTR OBTAINED THIS INFO FROM PBI APCH VIA TELEPHONE.

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.