Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20; Flight Crew Total 6800; Flight Crew Type 800
Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Procedure; Human Factors
I was doing practice approaches (ILS; 35R) at APA. During the 3rd or 4th approach; I heard another aircraft on frequency; also doing the approach; just ahead of me. While my safety pilot and I were searching for that traffic; just prior to the MAP; I looked up just in time to see an aircraft departing 17L; directly toward us.Rather than execute the missed approach right in front of him; and across his route of flight; I elected to extend the approach and go missed behind (rather than in front of) him. In doing so; I was criticized by the Tower (who had cleared the aircraft to take-off into us) for not going missed sooner (perhaps; 2;000 FT sooner). The Tower also criticized the other aircraft for not turning out sooner.I'm not sure that either aircraft did anything questionable (Query: the Tower; however). I know that my action was taken; in what I thought to be; in the interest of aviation safety ('see and avoid'); first. While; normally; I can look and find that I might have done things differently; in this instance I believe that the Tower should either (1) not have cleared the other aircraft to take-off directly into approaching traffic; or; (2) should have done so with greater separation.
C425 pilot doing practice ILS approaches to Runway 35R at APA reports NMAC with another aircraft departing Runway 17L with Tower clearance to do so.