Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Distraction; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Human-Machine Interface
Conflict NMAC
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airspace Structure; Company Policy; Chart Or Publication; Human Factors
On the ECLPS departure from PHX around 10;000 feet; ATC gave us a heading for traffic 20 miles ahead maneuvering at 14;500 feet. We decided to keep our speed at 250 knots and our climb rate high to out climb the traffic and looked to identify the aircraft on TCAS. Utilizing the above and below function on TCAS we identified the traffic; by this time below us. We kept a good climb rate and when we were approaching 14;500 feet; ATC said traffic was at 12;500 FT and gave us a heading of 090 (approximately on course). We verified the altitude of the traffic as roughly 2;500 feet below us. We turned to the heading and started to accelerate while still climbing. Next thing I know we had a TA. I look down at the ND and see the TA traffic in yellow at -2;900 feet right in front of us. I look up to visually identify the traffic and see a jet vertically directly in front of us arching over the top of a loop directly towards us. The jet was looping directly toward us! Instinctively I banked to the left and dropped the nose to maintain roughly 1 G; turning away from the oncoming aircraft. The Captain informed ATC we were taking evasive actions. Once we were heading about 050; I rolled out. I do not believe the bank angle exceeded 40 degrees; and the recovery was a normal roll out and level off. ATC was apologetic; I don't think any of us expected an aircraft to gain 3;000 feet in a couple of seconds. We never received an RA; but I'm not sure the TCAS system would know how to react to an aircraft maneuver that quickly and being in a loop. A Jet aircraft was performing aerobatic maneuvers in a busy departure corridor. The aerobatic aircraft failed to properly clear the area and operated in a careless and reckless manner. The aerobatic aircraft maneuvered in an unexpected manner (I've never witnessed an aircraft maneuver with that speed and altitude gain above 10;000). Their behavior was outside my scope of experience acquired during 20 years of flying. FAR 91.303 prohibits aerobatic activity within 4 NM of a federal airway. I don't know if a departure procedure course is considered a federal airway and there were no underlying airways on that section of the ECLPS Departure. The prohibition of aerobatic activity within 4 NM of a federal airway should be expanded to include departure procedures. Additional restrictions should be placed when doing aerobatic activity above 10;000 feet.
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
Air carrier flight crew reported an NMAC with a jet aircraft performing acrobatic type maneuvers along the departure route.