Narrative:

Large transport X departed newark, nj, at XA49Z. Takeoff and initial climb out were normal. Large transport X was level at 6000' when ATC called traffic 7000' descending at 3 mi at 12 O'clock. At that time we were on a heading of 220 degrees to intercept 350 degree right off of colts neck VOR. The first officer requested a vector. ATC gave us a vector and called traffic out of 6500'. At that time the captain saw a single engine. Low fixed wing small aircraft type aircraft, white with brown stripe in our 11:30 position. Single engine aircraft was stationary in pilot's windscreen. Captain then took evasive action by initiating a climbing left turn. The single engine aircraft also initiated a steep dive. Slant range distance to aircraft was approximately 150-200'. The other aircraft appeared to be white with brown strip--tricycle landing gear with wheel pants. This problem of conflicting traffic is not new. The single engine aircraft was probably on a VFR clearance flying to colts neck for descent. Because ATC called his altitude, I assume he had a transponder with altitude readout. I don't think that VFR traffic should be allowed to fly VFR around major hubs or their departure routes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: although flight crew (captain) called departure control by telephone, he did not ascertain whether the small aircraft was in contact with approach control or whether the small aircraft was in the TCA west/O a clearance. No reason was given why a traffic alert was not issued by the controller. Reporter said that they would have hit the other aircraft if evasive action had not been taken by both pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EVASIVE ACTION BY FLT CREWS OF ACR-LGT AND SMA TO AVOID MIDAIR COLLISION.

Narrative: LGT X DEPARTED NEWARK, NJ, AT XA49Z. TKOF AND INITIAL CLBOUT WERE NORMAL. LGT X WAS LEVEL AT 6000' WHEN ATC CALLED TFC 7000' DSNDING AT 3 MI AT 12 O'CLOCK. AT THAT TIME WE WERE ON A HDG OF 220 DEGS TO INTERCEPT 350 DEG R OFF OF COLTS NECK VOR. THE F/O REQUESTED A VECTOR. ATC GAVE US A VECTOR AND CALLED TFC OUT OF 6500'. AT THAT TIME THE CAPT SAW A SINGLE ENG. LOW FIXED WING SMA TYPE ACFT, WHITE WITH BROWN STRIPE IN OUR 11:30 POS. SINGLE ENG ACFT WAS STATIONARY IN PLT'S WINDSCREEN. CAPT THEN TOOK EVASIVE ACTION BY INITIATING A CLBING LEFT TURN. THE SINGLE ENG ACFT ALSO INITIATED A STEEP DIVE. SLANT RANGE DISTANCE TO ACFT WAS APPROX 150-200'. THE OTHER ACFT APPEARED TO BE WHITE WITH BROWN STRIP--TRICYCLE LNDG GEAR WITH WHEEL PANTS. THIS PROB OF CONFLICTING TFC IS NOT NEW. THE SINGLE ENG ACFT WAS PROBABLY ON A VFR CLRNC FLYING TO COLTS NECK FOR DSCNT. BECAUSE ATC CALLED HIS ALT, I ASSUME HE HAD A TRANSPONDER WITH ALT READOUT. I DON'T THINK THAT VFR TFC SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO FLY VFR AROUND MAJOR HUBS OR THEIR DEP ROUTES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ALTHOUGH FLT CREW (CAPT) CALLED DEP CTL BY TELEPHONE, HE DID NOT ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE SMA WAS IN CONTACT WITH APCH CTL OR WHETHER THE SMA WAS IN THE TCA W/O A CLRNC. NO REASON WAS GIVEN WHY A TFC ALERT WAS NOT ISSUED BY THE CTLR. REPORTER SAID THAT THEY WOULD HAVE HIT THE OTHER ACFT IF EVASIVE ACTION HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN BY BOTH PLTS.

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.