Citation V/Ultra/Encore (C560)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 75; Flight Crew Total 24000; Flight Crew Type 1900
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Procedure
I was the pilot not flying. We were on an IFR flight; very clear visual conditions and we were being vectored after departure by NorCal Approach.We were in an ATC instructed turn to a heading of 180 degrees from an easterly heading. We were on a vector and turning right to a 180 degree heading at 15000' at full speed. ATC asked us to 'expedite' a climb to 17000' and turn 20 degrees left and he advised us of traffic at 12-1 O Clock position relative to us and apologized. I looked outside and saw an aircraft at 10-11 O Clock position; not 12-1 and it was slightly higher than us it appeared or maybe even at our altitude. A turn towards the aircraft would turns us directly into them. I saw the aircraft on our TCAS; it was showing 300 ft. above us.It was peculiar and hard to accommodate a rushed expedited climb for only 2000 ft. but we complied with me setting the altitude alerter and the copilot selecting a heading change and selecting a climb from the autopilot which put us both heads down momentarily. Suddenly our TCAS advised 'Traffic' and I looked back up and out the front of the aircraft and at the 11 O clock position I saw the aircraft still in the same position and moving closer towards 11:30 O clock position. I saw the aircraft clearly and it was at 11-11:30 O Clock position and it was not changing in the windscreen position. We had started to initiate a climb but the traffic was now moving steadily closer to in front of us still and a turn to the left and climb looked wrong visually and it was into the other aircrafts path. The TCAS System now blurted out 'Traffic' and the target turned yellow on the TCAS display. This was immediately followed by the TCAS system telling us to descend; we stayed wings level and a RA Descend Command was coming from our TCAS. I saw the aircraft the entire time visually and the copilot did not see the aircraft due to the center pillar blocking it from his view; this was because it was in the 11 O clock position. I took control of the aircraft and turned the autopilot off and stopped the climb which appeared to put us directly in conflict with the other aircraft who visually was at or slightly above us. We followed the TCAS systems order to descend and passed under the other aircraft which was initiating its own descent; I did not have time to communicate to ATC as I was extremely busy avoiding the other aircraft; we could see it pitch down aggressively. We descended rapidly and the other aircraft passed overhead. After we passed the other aircraft we continued the climb to 19000 ft. as that was the new ATC instruction and to continue on the 180 heading. I was shocked we were turned into the path of another aircraft. My copilot who was initially the pilot flying was confused as to the rapidity/seriousness of the situation as I took control and told him I was maneuvering to avoid an oncoming aircraft.Several moments afterwards ATC asked that we call them and discuss. They advised us they were not talking to the other aircraft and that the other aircraft was talking to another frequency and was climbing to our altitude of 15;000 ft. I feel that the delay in the radar at the ATC facility or the ATC specialists mistake and telling us traffic was at 12-1 O clock when in reality it was at our 10-11 O clock position led to the confusion. When I first saw the aircraft it was probably a mile or two away and a left turn he was suggesting and a climb would have turned us directly into the other aircrafts path and this was confirmed by a TCAS 'Traffic' Alert and a Resolution Advisory (RA) that was advising us to descend. Further complicating matters while we were descending was the controller then was telling us to turn to a '270 heading' which was 90 degrees to the right and to maintain visual contact I felt we would lose visual contact in a turn of any sort during this evasive maneuver. I instructed the ATC specialist that we were not turning or climbing; this was due to the imminent traffic threat. We continued to descend and the other aircraft passed overhead. In hindsight I think we should have been informed of the traffic earlier and the fact that he was issuing what appeared to be a turn toward traffic confused us. The non-standard phraseology of an apology was further confusing. I feel that the aircraft he was telling us about was not where he saw on his radar screen and it was visually different for us and this caused some momentary confusion. In the end; I feel that this was an avoidable situation that was exasperated by the TCAS RA Command. The other aircraft was a drop zone aircraft that was known in the area but we should have been advised of their proximity to us earlier so we could have looked for the aircraft. This all happened very fast over a time period of 30 seconds.
CE-560 flight crew reported taking evasive action to avoid a collision with another aircraft.