B737-300 flight crew experienced TCAS RA on traffic operating in departure path.

Attributes
ACN	739337
Time
Date	200705
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bur.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bur.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	739337
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure FAA ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Bur tower should issue different heading instructions when traffic is near the normal departure path. Bur tower warned us of helicopter traffic south of the departure path; prior to takeoff. The departure requires a right turn heading 210 degrees. After the turn we got a TCAS TA; followed by an RA. Traffic was spotted and the climb rate was adequate to clear the target. Bur departure control vectored us further from the target or we would have turned on our own. TCAS RA and visual. TCAS RA coincided with our normal climb/departure performance. Ask if we should alter our departure heading; when given traffic information prior to departure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED TCAS RA ON TFC OPERATING IN DEPARTURE PATH.

Narrative: BUR TWR SHOULD ISSUE DIFFERENT HDG INSTRUCTIONS WHEN TFC IS NEAR THE NORMAL DEP PATH. BUR TWR WARNED US OF HELI TFC S OF THE DEP PATH; PRIOR TO TKOF. THE DEP REQUIRES A R TURN HDG 210 DEGS. AFTER THE TURN WE GOT A TCAS TA; FOLLOWED BY AN RA. TFC WAS SPOTTED AND THE CLB RATE WAS ADEQUATE TO CLR THE TARGET. BUR DEP CTL VECTORED US FURTHER FROM THE TARGET OR WE WOULD HAVE TURNED ON OUR OWN. TCAS RA AND VISUAL. TCAS RA COINCIDED WITH OUR NORMAL CLB/DEP PERFORMANCE. ASK IF WE SHOULD ALTER OUR DEP HDG; WHEN GIVEN TFC INFO PRIOR TO DEP.

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.