Date: 201403
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: MGR.Airport, GA
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Super King Air 200
Operator: Air Taxi
Operating under: Part 135
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Climb
ATC / advisory: CTAF MGR
Second aircraft: J3 Cub
Reporter organization: Air Taxi
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Other / Unknown
Anomaly: Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Automation Aircraft TA; Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Procedure; Airspace Structure; Human Factors
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: We departed Runway 22 under VFR rules in VMC with the intent of picking up an IFR clearance airborne as authorized by our Ops Specs. Weather was not a factor at all. We made standard position reports on the published UNICOM for taxiing; taking the runway; departing; and direction of departure after becoming airborne and were in communication with the FBO who passed us the current ASOS information and 'no reported traffic' on our taxi call. I estimate we had been monitoring the UNICOM for 7-10 minutes prior to takeoff. After takeoff I climbed straight ahead to around 700-1;000 FT AGL and began a turn to the west towards our next waypoint after the SIC's transmission of our intention to depart in that direction to our next waypoint. At that moment the TCAS gave a 'Traffic; Traffic' alert and our MFD immediately transitioned to a traffic display. I noted a converging target and focused my visual scan on my side of the aircraft while directing the SIC to scan his side. He immediately called out a traffic conflict at our 2 o'clock and slightly higher. I visually acquired a yellow J-3 Cub-like aircraft in apparent cruise at about 1;000-1;500 FT AGL on a southbound heading; noting the aircraft to be stationary in our windscreen. I pushed forward on the yoke to stop our climb and to level off what I considered to be slightly more than 500 FT below the Cub's altitude. Based upon my 3;000+ hours as a fighter pilot I estimate we passed laterally 2-500's in front of the Cub's nose on a perpendicular heading for a total miss distance of around 1;000 FT; though I lost sight of the Cub as we leveled off due to the cockpit ceiling and don't know the precise distance. The Cub took no apparent evasive action. I estimate that had my SIC not seen the Cub and pointed it out to me (and had not taken control of the aircraft as he and I had discussed previously was well within his purview); we would have passed much closer to the Cub and potentially had a mid-air collision. The root cause of this situation was my failure to depart in a standard 45 degree left-hand turn to the south or continue straight ahead to pattern altitude after takeoff from Runway 22. Though I did depart straight out on a 220 heading initially; I should have continued my straight ahead climb while the SIC contacted ATC for our IFR pickup prior to continuing on course instead of turning to the right and west as I did. A contributing factor was the Cub's close proximity to the traffic pattern at a low altitude and his apparent lack of radio communications to/from traffic on the published UNICOM. Potentially the Cub pilot was in a standard upwind leg for Runway 22; but since he wasn't communicating and we lost sight of him I do not know if he was in cruise or entering the pattern. This near mid-air reemphasized the need to follow standard procedures for VFR departures when intending to pick up an IFR clearance. After reviewing the incident mentally; I was surprised the Cub wasn't communicating even though he clearly had a transponder that thankfully tripped our TCAS. Finally; though mistakes were made; the mid-air was avoided through a combination of TCAS and a divided visual scan. Though procedures exist to mitigate this type of occurrence; they do not completely protect pilots and we were fortunate that our systems worked and we were able to visually acquire the conflicting traffic.




Synopsis: King air Captain reports an airborne conflict with J3 Cub after departing VFR from an uncontrolled airport. TCAS provided a timely warning and evasive action was taken. The Cub pilot was without radio or chose not to communicate.