A HURRIED DEP AND WAKE TURB SEPARATION RESPONSIBILITY DISTRACTED A COMMUTER FLC AND CONTRIBUTED TO A 1000 FT ALTDEV. DEP ISSUED NEW CLRNC FOR FLC'S ALT.

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ON MAY/TUE/95 MY FO AND I WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 10 MSY. THERE WAS 1 JET ACFT DEPARTING AND ANOTHER ON FINAL. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF TO 2000 FT WITH A L TURN TO HDG 060 DEGS. THIS CAUSED US TO EXECUTE A STEEP CLB FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE TURN AT 500 FT TO HDG 060 DEGS. ATC WAS CONVERSING WITH THE DEPARTING TFC; WHICH DIVERTED BOTH ME AND THE FO'S ATTN. WITHIN SECONDS; WE BOTH HEARD THE ALT ALERTER 2000 FT CALL. THE ONLY THING WE COULD ACCOMPLISH USING NORMAL MANEUVERS WAS LEVEL AT 3000 FT. AT THIS POINT WE WERE TOLD TO SWITCH TO DEP AND THEN INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT BY DEP CTL. DEP STATED THAT 3000 FT WOULD BE JUST FINE. CAUSE: 1) RUSHING DEP PROCS ATC AND CREW. 2) ACFT AT MINIMUM WT AND THE CLB RATE WAS MORE THAN NORMAL. 3) ATC CONVERSING WITH DEPARTING TFC OTHER THAN DEP INSTRUCTIONS. 4) QUICK TURN ON DEP WHILE AVOIDING WAKE TURB. CORRECTIVE ACTION: 1) SLOW DEP PROCS. 2) DISCUSS ONLY DEP AND RELEVANT INSTRUCTIONS DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT. MSY ATC STAFF WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS AS TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED.