Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Workload; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Aircraft; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure; Weather
We were issued a clearance to depart Runway 4R/Y2 and turn to heading 360. In our turn to heading 360 we were given an RA to Descend. We followed the guidance of the RA and were able to level off and begin a climb. We notified ATC and were told to climb to 2;000 MSL. I learned of the events that led to the RA after speaking with a supervisor from DTW Tower. An aircraft was performing a missed approach from Runway 4L. They announced the missed approach late (abeam taxiway V); but I was told that was not the cause of the event. The supervisor informed that in an event like this the controller is to focus on the departing aircraft and assign a heading for avoidance. This controller seemed to focus on the Go-Around and left us on a heading of 360 - turning/climbing into the oncoming traffic. I was told our separation at one point was 400 feet vertically and .14 nm laterally.I believe the 4L RVR was 1;800 feet with gusting wind and rain; providing a high probability for a missed approach. Assigning a turn that intersects the parallel MAP under these conditions may need to be looked at. I say that not knowing the full flow of traffic that ATC is dealing with under these conditions in DTW.
On our taxi out the weather was starting to deteriorate. By the time we reached the end of the runway they were reporting +RA and RVRs were being reported as low as 1800 RVR in the touchdown zone. Our takeoff clearance was to turn left heading 360 Runway; 4R at Y2 cleared for takeoff. As we climbed off of 4R; I heard another aircraft on approach to 4L report to Tower that they were going missed. I then heard the tower assign them a heading for their missed approach. As we were climbing through 1000 ft we began our left turn; I heard these radio calls taking place I began to process that our left turn to 360 could become problematic with an aircraft going missed off of 4L. I then heard the controller issue a further left turn to a heading 340 but was unsure which aircraft it was for as we were both [Company] aircraft and I had missed the flight number. That was the moment at which we received the RA. We were approximately 2000 ft MSL and were instructed to descend per the RA. The captain began pitching the aircraft of the nose down and reducing power in an attempt to meet the required descent rate. I made a radio call to ATC to inform them that we were descending. Once we were clear of the conflict we were told to maintain 2000 feet. I then asked them for a heading and we were assigned a heading of 360 again. It should be noted that it required a left turn to reach a heading of 360 showing that we never even made it to our original assigned heading in the climbing left turn prior to receiving the RA. Tower then switched us over to departure. Before we left the frequency; in order to clarify the reasoning for our descent; I told them that our descent was due to an RA. Tower responded with 'Alright; thank you'.The cause of this event was improper/poor communication by ATC and was made worse by the weather conditions. By giving us a left turn to 360 on our initial climb; we were turning into the departure path of a runway that was being used for approaches down to minimums. As the aircraft on the other runway went missed the controller elected to begin focusing their attention on that aircraft; in an attempt to keep them clear of us; rather than our aircraft and telling us to fly runway heading. It would've been safer for our aircraft to be the one receiving instructions rather than the missed aircraft for a couple reasons. The missed aircraft is not only in a much busier phase of flight but they also have a published approach that they should be flying. If the tower had let them continue flying the published missed and rather told us to fly heading 040 the courses of the two aircraft never would have come close. However; by electing to try have us continue our turn and attempt to have the aircraft going around turn left as well the two aircraft found themselves within less than 1000 ft of each other. The low weather conditions obviously did not help the situation either. Because of the low visibility and low ceilings; the captain and I were unable to make any visual contact with the other aircraft at all and were forced to rely solely off of the instruments to remain clear of the aircraft.To prevent this event from reoccurring the DTW airport should consider changing its procedures for departures in IMC. It would be beneficial to have departing aircraft fly runway heading on departure when the field is under IFR conditions. While giving a left turn to aircraft off of 4L may be best for efficiency purposes; it puts the departing aircraft in the departure path of a runway that on IFR day's aircraft may be executing missed approaches from. By placing departing aircraft on runway headings initially there should not be any issues with intersecting flight paths with departing aircraft and aircraft going missed.
Air Carrier flight crew reported an airborne conflict on departure from DTW with an aircraft on missed approach.