FLC OF LTT ATX INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO KEEP SMT IN SIGHT ON DEP AND CLB; LOST SIGHT OF SMT AND WERE GIVEN TA BY CENTER. NMAC.

Narrative

WAS ASKED BY ASPEN TWR WHEN HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 33 FOR TKOF IF WE HAD THE SMT THAT HAD JUST LIFTED OFF 'IN SIGHT.' MY SIC REPLIED YES AND WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND TO KEEP TO THE L OF THE SMT. I REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO MY SIC TO CONFIRM WHAT I THOUGHT I HAD HEARD FROM THE TWR. WE BOTH INFERRED HE WAS DEPARTING THE ATA TO THE NE OR E. WE COMPLIED WITH THE LINDZ SID WHICH CALLS FOR A 270 DEG HDG AFTER REACHING 8700 FT MSL TO INTERCEPT AND TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE IPKN LDA BACK COURSE AND WERE SWITCHED TO ZDV. DURING THE CLBOUT WE WERE BOTH BUSY FLYING THE SID PROC AND COMPLETING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST TRANSITIONING TO ENRTE CLB. I HAD JUST ROLLED OUT ON THE LDA COURSE WHEN CENTER'S FIRST RADIO CONTACT ASKED IF WE HAD THE SMT 12 O'CLOCK CLBING OUT OF 15300 MSL. WE BOTH SAW IT TO OUR SURPRISE AND I INITIATED A LEVEL OFF AT 15000 MSL UNTIL WE PASSED WELL CLR UNDERNEATH THE SMT (WE WERE CLRED TO 16000 MSL) AND RESUMED THE CLB TO 16000. WE WERE CLRED ON COURSE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. OUR ALT WAS ABOUT 14500 FT MSL WHEN CENTER'S CALL CAME. HAD THE TWR INFORMED US OF THE SMT'S RTE OF FLT AND ALT AND WE HAD NOT ASSUMED HIS PATH AFTER LEAVING THE ATA WE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT TO HIS WHEREABOUTS AND NOT CONSIDERED OURSELVES CLR OF HIM. HIS 12 O'CLOCK HIGH POS TO US AT THE TIME OF RECONTACT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE HIM. THANK YOU ZDV!