Narrative:

This is an account of an incident as best as the crew can reconstruct it. We took off out of sju runway 8 at XA14, 4/88, following the takeoff of a flight of 4 fgt's. We were climbing out on the vermo 2 departure 002 degree right of sju VOR. We had been cleared to climb to FL280. We were in the clouds on instruments. Passing through 6000' MSL the departure controller on 120.9 MHZ advised we had traffic, a flight of 4, at 11:30 squawking 10 mi and circling. We broke out of the overcast approximately 7500' and were between buildups. The controller again advised that we had traffic at 12 O'clock 10 mi. My rate of climb was 2000 FPM, so I lowered the nose to decrease the climb rate and sto climb at 9000' MSL. The controller now gave me a vector 15 degrees right. As I commenced the turn, our alert second officer was the first to sight the traffic at 12 O'clock converging head on, but slightly right. I immediately made an evasive climbing left turn. A flight of 3 fgt's, no markings seen, traveling southbound, passed slightly to the right and below us with approximately 500' sep. I was indicating 8700' MSL at the time we passed each other. They did not appear to have taken evasive action. We never sighted a fourth fgt, we were concerned about his position also. I asked the controller why the fgt's were in the climb corridor. He answered that they were maintaining VFR. Fortunately he had kept us informed as to their relative position. This potentially catastrophic incident raises many questions and it shouldn't have been allowed to develop. Either the military had priority over that airspace or we did, but we couldn't safely occupy it at the same time. This time we were all fortunate. I pray there will not be a next time. I have contacted sju cerap by telephone and also followed with a written report. NASA ASRS was also sent a report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN ACR-WDB AND FORMATION OF 3 FGT'S.

Narrative: THIS IS AN ACCOUNT OF AN INCIDENT AS BEST AS THE CREW CAN RECONSTRUCT IT. WE TOOK OFF OUT OF SJU RWY 8 AT XA14, 4/88, FOLLOWING THE TKOF OF A FLT OF 4 FGT'S. WE WERE CLBING OUT ON THE VERMO 2 DEP 002 DEG R OF SJU VOR. WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CLB TO FL280. WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS ON INSTS. PASSING THROUGH 6000' MSL THE DEP CTLR ON 120.9 MHZ ADVISED WE HAD TFC, A FLT OF 4, AT 11:30 SQUAWKING 10 MI AND CIRCLING. WE BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST APPROX 7500' AND WERE BTWN BUILDUPS. THE CTLR AGAIN ADVISED THAT WE HAD TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK 10 MI. MY RATE OF CLB WAS 2000 FPM, SO I LOWERED THE NOSE TO DECREASE THE CLB RATE AND STO CLB AT 9000' MSL. THE CTLR NOW GAVE ME A VECTOR 15 DEGS RIGHT. AS I COMMENCED THE TURN, OUR ALERT S/O WAS THE FIRST TO SIGHT THE TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK CONVERGING HEAD ON, BUT SLIGHTLY RIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY MADE AN EVASIVE CLBING LEFT TURN. A FLT OF 3 FGT'S, NO MARKINGS SEEN, TRAVELING SBND, PASSED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AND BELOW US WITH APPROX 500' SEP. I WAS INDICATING 8700' MSL AT THE TIME WE PASSED EACH OTHER. THEY DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION. WE NEVER SIGHTED A FOURTH FGT, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS POS ALSO. I ASKED THE CTLR WHY THE FGT'S WERE IN THE CLB CORRIDOR. HE ANSWERED THAT THEY WERE MAINTAINING VFR. FORTUNATELY HE HAD KEPT US INFORMED AS TO THEIR RELATIVE POS. THIS POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT RAISES MANY QUESTIONS AND IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO DEVELOP. EITHER THE MIL HAD PRIORITY OVER THAT AIRSPACE OR WE DID, BUT WE COULDN'T SAFELY OCCUPY IT AT THE SAME TIME. THIS TIME WE WERE ALL FORTUNATE. I PRAY THERE WILL NOT BE A NEXT TIME. I HAVE CONTACTED SJU CERAP BY TELEPHONE AND ALSO FOLLOWED WITH A WRITTEN RPT. NASA ASRS WAS ALSO SENT A RPT.

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.