Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 34; Flight Crew Total 3420; Flight Crew Type 325
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Workload; Confusion; Human-Machine Interface
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related; Staffing
Departing Runway 1; given initial heading 330; climb to 2;000. Tower handed off to PHL Approach. Approach cleared me to 9;000. Approach then called Traffic Alert one o'clock turn immediately to 270 degrees. After I did not respond immediately; Approach said 'radio check' turn immediately to 270 degrees. I responded; turned and continued my climb. Traffic (I never saw) passed behind me. Several factors contributed:1. Other aircraft was in ILG Class D airspace apparently not in contact with ILG Tower or Approach.2. ILG Tower Controller may have been 'in training.'3. PHL Approach Controller was incredibly busy; potentially missing the potential conflict until he received a traffic alert. As the country is 'opening up' post COVID; anticipated level of weekend air traffic appeared to be underestimated.4. Controller called the traffic at 1 O'clock; turn left. Natural tendency to want to look for the traffic; which would be blocked by the engine/wing in the turn. This delayed my action. Suggestion: Controller state 'Traffic Alert' make immediate turn to XXX. Do not state the location of the traffic. If it's that urgent; it's too late to start looking.5. My avionics unit was in flight plan mode (anticipating getting a 'cleared direct to' (which I received almost immediately after the incident)); not traffic mode. Even though I was in Class D airspace; overlaid by Class B; on an IFR clearance and given a Radar Vector; it was VMC. Having the avionics unit set to traffic would have potentially provided an additional traffic alert. Difficult to say as this all happened in the first 60-90 seconds after takeoff when workload is at the highest.
Pilot reported receiving a traffic alert shortly after takeoff requiring immediate evasive action. Pilot noted that the PHL TRACON Controller seemed incredibly busy; thereby potentially missing the conflict.