Narrative:

Departed runway 6R at anc, anchorage, on runway heading 065 degrees. I, the first officer, was flying the aircraft. Per SID, anc 9 dpe, commenced right turn at anc 9 DME, which is approximately 3-4 mi east of the center of anc airport. We were climbing through approximately 1700' MSL (about 1600' AGL) as turn was started. Utilized gradual roll into turn due to high operating gross weight of 816900 pounds at takeoff (equals 99% maximum TOGW), fluctuating winds (per tower and windsocks) and anc areas known potential for shear. Just prior to initiating turn, tower gave us frequency change 123.8. This frequency was selected by captain as the turn was initiated and there was a conversation on the frequency at that moment. As we passed about 15-20 degrees of bank, I spotted small aircraft Y aircraft slightly above us and in about our 11-11:30 O'clock position and within a few hundred yds. We were about in his 4:30-5 O'clock position and heading toward him on an apparent collision course. I verbally called out the traffic and simultaneously applied forward pressure on the controls while also decreasing the bank angle somewhat to prevent our left wing from hitting the other aircraft. We then passed just under and slightly to the right of small aircraft Y. I estimate that we cleared him by about 100-200' or less. He was white and, I think, blue in color. We then checked with anc departure and queried them about this aircraft, advising them of the near collision. They acknowledged and said that he was on another frequency. Then he, the small aircraft pilot, came on the frequency within a short time and acknowledged the near miss. WX was -40 sct east 90 ovc 60, winds light and varying from directions greater than 90 degrees on surface, predominantly easterly. Since both aircraft were under ATC control I feel that the cause of the near collision was an ATC breakdown, lack of coordination between tower, departure control, etc. Had we been in the clouds, we most likely would have collided. Also, it would not have been as close a call if our crew, including myself, had been maintaining a higher degree of traffic watch. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: on return trip, flight crew held telephone conference with 2 supervisors from anc tower. They claimed that this near collision was really nobody's fault. Analyst disagrees: even though the VFR small aircraft was not being 'controled' by anc approach control, anc ATC had a responsibility to the 2 aircraft to exchange traffic information so that neither would be surprised by the other. The small aircraft was VFR just outside the arsa going to an airport north of anc. Anc tower should have been able to see the aircraft either visually or on radar and should have given the small aircraft to the air carrier as traffic before the frequency change was issued. Anc tower and approach control each had a good opportunity to prevent this near collision and did nothing to do so.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEAR COLLISION BETWEEN ACR-WDB AND SMA JUST OUTSIDE ARSA.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 6R AT ANC, ANCHORAGE, ON RWY HDG 065 DEGS. I, THE F/O, WAS FLYING THE ACFT. PER SID, ANC 9 DPE, COMMENCED RIGHT TURN AT ANC 9 DME, WHICH IS APPROX 3-4 MI E OF THE CENTER OF ANC ARPT. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH APPROX 1700' MSL (ABOUT 1600' AGL) AS TURN WAS STARTED. UTILIZED GRADUAL ROLL INTO TURN DUE TO HIGH OPERATING GROSS WT OF 816900 LBS AT TKOF (EQUALS 99% MAX TOGW), FLUCTUATING WINDS (PER TWR AND WINDSOCKS) AND ANC AREAS KNOWN POTENTIAL FOR SHEAR. JUST PRIOR TO INITIATING TURN, TWR GAVE US FREQ CHANGE 123.8. THIS FREQ WAS SELECTED BY CAPT AS THE TURN WAS INITIATED AND THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ON THE FREQ AT THAT MOMENT. AS WE PASSED ABOUT 15-20 DEGS OF BANK, I SPOTTED SMA Y ACFT SLIGHTLY ABOVE US AND IN ABOUT OUR 11-11:30 O'CLOCK POS AND WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED YDS. WE WERE ABOUT IN HIS 4:30-5 O'CLOCK POS AND HDG TOWARD HIM ON AN APPARENT COLLISION COURSE. I VERBALLY CALLED OUT THE TFC AND SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLIED FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE CTLS WHILE ALSO DECREASING THE BANK ANGLE SOMEWHAT TO PREVENT OUR LEFT WING FROM HITTING THE OTHER ACFT. WE THEN PASSED JUST UNDER AND SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT OF SMA Y. I ESTIMATE THAT WE CLRED HIM BY ABOUT 100-200' OR LESS. HE WAS WHITE AND, I THINK, BLUE IN COLOR. WE THEN CHKED WITH ANC DEP AND QUERIED THEM ABOUT THIS ACFT, ADVISING THEM OF THE NEAR COLLISION. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED AND SAID THAT HE WAS ON ANOTHER FREQ. THEN HE, THE SMA PLT, CAME ON THE FREQ WITHIN A SHORT TIME AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE NEAR MISS. WX WAS -40 SCT E 90 OVC 60, WINDS LIGHT AND VARYING FROM DIRECTIONS GREATER THAN 90 DEGS ON SURFACE, PREDOMINANTLY EASTERLY. SINCE BOTH ACFT WERE UNDER ATC CTL I FEEL THAT THE CAUSE OF THE NEAR COLLISION WAS AN ATC BREAKDOWN, LACK OF COORD BTWN TWR, DEP CTL, ETC. HAD WE BEEN IN THE CLOUDS, WE MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE COLLIDED. ALSO, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS CLOSE A CALL IF OUR CREW, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAD BEEN MAINTAINING A HIGHER DEGREE OF TFC WATCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ON RETURN TRIP, FLT CREW HELD TELEPHONE CONFERENCE WITH 2 SUPVRS FROM ANC TWR. THEY CLAIMED THAT THIS NEAR COLLISION WAS REALLY NOBODY'S FAULT. ANALYST DISAGREES: EVEN THOUGH THE VFR SMA WAS NOT BEING 'CTLED' BY ANC APCH CTL, ANC ATC HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE 2 ACFT TO EXCHANGE TFC INFO SO THAT NEITHER WOULD BE SURPRISED BY THE OTHER. THE SMA WAS VFR JUST OUTSIDE THE ARSA GOING TO AN ARPT N OF ANC. ANC TWR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE ACFT EITHER VISUALLY OR ON RADAR AND SHOULD HAVE GIVEN THE SMA TO THE ACR AS TFC BEFORE THE FREQ CHANGE WAS ISSUED. ANC TWR AND APCH CTL EACH HAD A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO PREVENT THIS NEAR COLLISION AND DID NOTHING TO DO SO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.