LTSS.

Narrative

TKOF ROCHESTER RWY 22 AT XW30 LCL. CLRNC WAS RWY HDG FOR VECTORS ON COURSE; MAINTAIN 10000 FT. DEP CTL SAID TO MAINTAIN 7000 FT LEVELED AT 7000 FT. DEP CTL THEN SAID CLRED TO ROCKDALE VOR AND ON COURSE. SINCE RKA VOR WAS NOT BEING RECEIVED; BOTH PLTS AGREED ON A 120 DEG HDG UNTIL RECEIVING. DEP CTL CALLED TFC AT 10-11 O'CLOCK; 8000 FT; APPROX 5 MI. PF CALLED TFC IN SIGHT; AND DEP CTL SAID MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT AND CLRED TO 10000 FT. PF STARTED A CLB. PNF CHKED FOR TFC AND XCHKED TCASII. PNF THOUGHT WE WOULD CLR TFC BY AT LEAST 3 PLUS MI HORIZLY AND 2000 FT PLUS VERTLY. TCASII THEN GAVE A TFC ALERT. BOTH PLTS CHKED TFC AND TCASII. TFC APPEARED TO BE 3 MI HORIZ AND APPROX LEVEL. CLB STATUS WAS CHKED. CLB RATE AND PWR HAD BEEN REDUCED BY PMS. PF ADVANCED PWR AND INCREASED CLB RATE. TCASII GAVE AN RA OF 'DON'T CLB' SHORTLY THEREAFTER. BECAUSE OF OUR RELATIVE POS - TFC JUST INSIDE 2 1/2 MI RING (10 MI RANGE) AND APPARENTLY GOING BELOW US; AND ALSO OUR RATE OF CLB; ETC; CLB WAS CONTINUED. TFC WAS VISUAL THROUGHOUT. TCASII RA STOPPED AND PNF ESTIMATES WE PASSED IN FRONT OF TFC 2 MI HORIZ AND 1000 FT VERT. PNF CALLED CLR OF TFC . NOT ONE WORD WAS HEARD FROM DEP CTL OR OTHER ACFT. PLTS HAD BEEN ON DUTY SINCE XW05 LCL (PNF UP SINCE XH00). HAD FLOWN 5 HRS WITH A 3 HR LAYOVER IN ATL. FELT A LITTLE TIRED BUT PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF PERFORMING DUTIES. IN RETROSPECT: 1) SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH RADAR VECTORS. 2) NEVER ACCEPT VISUAL SEPARATION CLB; ETC; ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. 3) CHK CLB PERFORMANCE SOONER. 4) BOTH PLTS AGREE ON VISUAL CONTACT; SIT AND APPROPRIATE ACTION BEFORE ACCEPTING ANY CLRNC.