Narrative:

My aircraft an small aircraft was filed and cleared for an IFR flight from mry to hwd on sun afternoon, 11/88. The day was perfectly clear with light winds--adverse WX was not a factor. Our aircraft was released for departure and cleared onto the active runway extension to hold (runway 28L) awaiting the departure of an small aircraft from the displaced threshold ahead. After that aircraft departed, we were told that there would be an additional minute delay due to inbound traffic west of the airport. After a short delay (30 seconds to 1 min) we were cleared for takeoff. Our SID, for which we were cleared, specified a climb to 1000' on runway heading, then a right hand turn (50 degrees) to 330 degrees, to be followed by radar vectors to the salinas VOR, then on the planned route of flight. After takeoff, at approximately 400', the tower controller directed us to turn right to 360 degrees and presumably to continue the climb. As we started the turn, he asked an inbound aircraft (presumably the previously noted traffic for which we were held on the runway) if he had sight of the twin departing the airport in a right hand climbing turn. The other airplane acknowledged visual contact. The tower controller then directed that aircraft to maintain visual contact with that aircraft (ours) and continue inbound. Immediately following that transmission, we observed a high wing single engine airplane in a slight descent on a collision course with our aircraft. He was seen at about our 10:30 position slightly higher (about 300') descending in a very slight left bank. He was therefore, slightly belly up to us, and we were belly up to him in our departure turn. He was above us descending and we were below him climbing. We immediately transitioned to a rapid descent in order to generate sep. The high wing rolled wings level and climbed at about the same moment. As that aircraft passed overhead, its wing flaps were observed to be fully extended (or very nearly so), allowing him to balloon climb to increase vertical sep from his viewpoint. We passed directly below and very slightly in front of the high wing. Our closest point of passage was estimated to be 400-500', nearly all of that sep was vertical. After passing below and clear of the other aircraft, we re-established our climbing turn as previously directed and switched to departure control frequency when so directed by the tower controller. My surmise is that: the tower controller's direction of our aircraft in the manner done took us off of the published departure procedure and put us precisely on a collision course with this inbound traffic. The converging traffic was obligated to avoid our aircraft by altering course behind our position, since he was to our left and we were on his right. (Of course both aircraft were obligated to avoid the collision, that was done.)

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR SID DEP IN VISUAL CONDITIONS RESULT IN NMAC WITH SMA APCHING THE ARPT.

Narrative: MY ACFT AN SMA WAS FILED AND CLRED FOR AN IFR FLT FROM MRY TO HWD ON SUN AFTERNOON, 11/88. THE DAY WAS PERFECTLY CLEAR WITH LIGHT WINDS--ADVERSE WX WAS NOT A FACTOR. OUR ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR DEP AND CLRED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY EXTENSION TO HOLD (RWY 28L) AWAITING THE DEP OF AN SMA FROM THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD AHEAD. AFTER THAT ACFT DEPARTED, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL MINUTE DELAY DUE TO INBND TFC W OF THE ARPT. AFTER A SHORT DELAY (30 SECS TO 1 MIN) WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. OUR SID, FOR WHICH WE WERE CLRED, SPECIFIED A CLB TO 1000' ON RWY HDG, THEN A RIGHT HAND TURN (50 DEGS) TO 330 DEGS, TO BE FOLLOWED BY RADAR VECTORS TO THE SALINAS VOR, THEN ON THE PLANNED ROUTE OF FLT. AFTER TKOF, AT APPROX 400', THE TWR CTLR DIRECTED US TO TURN RIGHT TO 360 DEGS AND PRESUMABLY TO CONTINUE THE CLB. AS WE STARTED THE TURN, HE ASKED AN INBND ACFT (PRESUMABLY THE PREVIOUSLY NOTED TFC FOR WHICH WE WERE HELD ON THE RWY) IF HE HAD SIGHT OF THE TWIN DEPARTING THE ARPT IN A RIGHT HAND CLBING TURN. THE OTHER AIRPLANE ACKNOWLEDGED VISUAL CONTACT. THE TWR CTLR THEN DIRECTED THAT ACFT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THAT ACFT (OURS) AND CONTINUE INBND. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT XMISSION, WE OBSERVED A HIGH WING SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE IN A SLIGHT DSCNT ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH OUR ACFT. HE WAS SEEN AT ABOUT OUR 10:30 POS SLIGHTLY HIGHER (ABOUT 300') DSNDING IN A VERY SLIGHT LEFT BANK. HE WAS THEREFORE, slightly BELLY UP TO US, AND WE WERE BELLY UP TO HIM IN OUR DEP TURN. HE WAS ABOVE US DSNDING AND WE WERE BELOW HIM CLBING. WE IMMEDIATELY TRANSITIONED TO A RAPID DSCNT IN ORDER TO GENERATE SEP. THE HIGH WING ROLLED WINGS LEVEL AND CLBED AT ABOUT THE SAME MOMENT. AS THAT ACFT PASSED OVERHEAD, ITS WING FLAPS WERE OBSERVED TO BE FULLY EXTENDED (OR VERY NEARLY SO), ALLOWING HIM TO BALLOON CLB TO INCREASE VERT SEP FROM HIS VIEWPOINT. WE PASSED DIRECTLY BELOW AND VERY SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF THE HIGH WING. OUR CLOSEST POINT OF PASSAGE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 400-500', NEARLY ALL OF THAT SEP WAS VERT. AFTER PASSING BELOW AND CLR OF THE OTHER ACFT, WE RE-ESTABLISHED OUR CLBING TURN AS PREVIOUSLY DIRECTED AND SWITCHED TO DEP CTL FREQ WHEN SO DIRECTED BY THE TWR CTLR. MY SURMISE IS THAT: THE TWR CTLR'S DIRECTION OF OUR ACFT IN THE MANNER DONE TOOK US OFF OF THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC AND PUT US PRECISELY ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THIS INBND TFC. THE CONVERGING TFC WAS OBLIGATED TO AVOID OUR ACFT BY ALTERING COURSE BEHIND OUR POS, SINCE HE WAS TO OUR LEFT AND WE WERE ON HIS RIGHT. (OF COURSE BOTH ACFT WERE OBLIGATED TO AVOID THE COLLISION, THAT WAS DONE.)

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.