Narrative:

After being given an initial vector of 090 degrees and 4000 ft; the flight was given a frequency change to phx departure control who directed us to climb first to 7000 ft then to 15000 ft and turn to a 290 degree heading to intercept a 321 radial off of the pxr VOR as was typical. After leveling off at 15000 ft; the flight continued on its assigned heading and after several mins; was instructed to change frequencys and to contact ZAB for further instruction and a climb. When initially arriving on frequency; we noted that the controller was busy giving; what we assumed to be a GA aircraft; explicit instructions as to heading towards a specific waypoint. There was obviously some confusion on the pilot's part and in clearing up this confusion the controller was completely engaged and speaking to no one else. After approximately 90 seconds we were able to check on frequency and were given instructions to climb on present heading to FL290. When the first officer initiated the climb; I noted on the TCAS another aircraft flying towards us; slightly below our altitude and climbing at 1500 FPM. I mentioned this to the PF and he pitched the aircraft up to 2000 FPM. At that point we both looked out the forward left side of the aircraft and realized we were in imminent danger of collision if some immediate action was not taken. Simultaneously; we received an RA and my assumption was that the B737 crew did as well. The first officer disconnected the autoplt; initiated a 30 degree left bank and increased rate of climb to 3000 FPM. The B737 pilot stopped his climb and leveled off maintaining the same direction of flight. In determining how close we were to each other I would estimate approximately 1 mi horizontal and 500 ft vertical. The passenger and cabin crew sustained no injuries as a result and in my estimation were unaware of the incident. Amazingly; at no point did the controller warn us of the proximity of the other aircraft or attempt to turn us away and my assumption is that he was so consumed with the GA aircraft that he missed us. After several mins of silence; the controller then asked both ourselves as well as the B737 crew if we had been given any sort of speed restrs; to which we both replied in the negative. Obviously; situational awareness on the part of both the phx departure controller as well as the ZAB controller was lost as was their coordination and redundancy reducing the usual several layers of safety to just two: the pilots and technology. In this incident where the rate of closure was somewhere on the order of 500 KTS; that was very nearly not enough.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR; DISTRACTED BY A DISORIENTED GA PLT; CONTRIBUTES TO CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF MD80 AND B737. TCAS SAVES THE DAY.

Narrative: AFTER BEING GIVEN AN INITIAL VECTOR OF 090 DEGS AND 4000 FT; THE FLT WAS GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO PHX DEP CTL WHO DIRECTED US TO CLB FIRST TO 7000 FT THEN TO 15000 FT AND TURN TO A 290 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT A 321 RADIAL OFF OF THE PXR VOR AS WAS TYPICAL. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 15000 FT; THE FLT CONTINUED ON ITS ASSIGNED HDG AND AFTER SEVERAL MINS; WAS INSTRUCTED TO CHANGE FREQS AND TO CONTACT ZAB FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION AND A CLB. WHEN INITIALLY ARRIVING ON FREQ; WE NOTED THAT THE CTLR WAS BUSY GIVING; WHAT WE ASSUMED TO BE A GA ACFT; EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS AS TO HDG TOWARDS A SPECIFIC WAYPOINT. THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY SOME CONFUSION ON THE PLT'S PART AND IN CLRING UP THIS CONFUSION THE CTLR WAS COMPLETELY ENGAGED AND SPEAKING TO NO ONE ELSE. AFTER APPROX 90 SECONDS WE WERE ABLE TO CHK ON FREQ AND WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB ON PRESENT HDG TO FL290. WHEN THE FO INITIATED THE CLB; I NOTED ON THE TCAS ANOTHER ACFT FLYING TOWARDS US; SLIGHTLY BELOW OUR ALT AND CLBING AT 1500 FPM. I MENTIONED THIS TO THE PF AND HE PITCHED THE ACFT UP TO 2000 FPM. AT THAT POINT WE BOTH LOOKED OUT THE FORWARD L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND REALIZED WE WERE IN IMMINENT DANGER OF COLLISION IF SOME IMMEDIATE ACTION WAS NOT TAKEN. SIMULTANEOUSLY; WE RECEIVED AN RA AND MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT THE B737 CREW DID AS WELL. THE FO DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT; INITIATED A 30 DEG L BANK AND INCREASED RATE OF CLB TO 3000 FPM. THE B737 PLT STOPPED HIS CLB AND LEVELED OFF MAINTAINING THE SAME DIRECTION OF FLT. IN DETERMINING HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO EACH OTHER I WOULD ESTIMATE APPROX 1 MI HORIZ AND 500 FT VERT. THE PAX AND CABIN CREW SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AS A RESULT AND IN MY ESTIMATION WERE UNAWARE OF THE INCIDENT. AMAZINGLY; AT NO POINT DID THE CTLR WARN US OF THE PROX OF THE OTHER ACFT OR ATTEMPT TO TURN US AWAY AND MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT HE WAS SO CONSUMED WITH THE GA ACFT THAT HE MISSED US. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF SILENCE; THE CTLR THEN ASKED BOTH OURSELVES AS WELL AS THE B737 CREW IF WE HAD BEEN GIVEN ANY SORT OF SPD RESTRS; TO WHICH WE BOTH REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE. OBVIOUSLY; SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON THE PART OF BOTH THE PHX DEP CTLR AS WELL AS THE ZAB CTLR WAS LOST AS WAS THEIR COORD AND REDUNDANCY REDUCING THE USUAL SEVERAL LAYERS OF SAFETY TO JUST TWO: THE PLTS AND TECHNOLOGY. IN THIS INCIDENT WHERE THE RATE OF CLOSURE WAS SOMEWHERE ON THE ORDER OF 500 KTS; THAT WAS VERY NEARLY NOT ENOUGH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.