A CLBING COMMUTER TURBOPROP ACFT WAS ISSUED A JET AS TFC AND INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THE ACFT. THE PLT CONFIRMED HE HAD THE JET ACFT IN SIGHT AND COULD MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. BOTH ACFT ENDED UP LESS THAN 500 FT APART ATTEMPTING TO MANEUVER AROUND EACH OTHER.

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WHILE IN CLB TO ALT THE CTLR ADVISED OF JET TFC AT ABOUT 2:30 O'CLOCK POS. WE CONFIRMED IN SIGHT AND WERE ISSUED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WHILE CLBING TO ALT OF (17000 FT?). IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THE OTHER ACFT MADE A SLIGHT CHANGE IN COURSE SUCH AS TO GO FROM SLIGHTLY CONVERGING FROM THE R TO A 90 DEG INTERCEPT OF OUR COURSE. AT ANY RATE; IT WAS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE CLOSURE RATE AND WE WERE UPON THE JET QUICKLY. AT ALL TIMES THE TFC WAS IN SIGHT. WE BEGAN A R TURN TO MAINTAIN A GREATER SEPARATION AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE JET DECIDED TO DO SO; AND AT THIS SAME TIME WE WERE PROBABLY 700 FT HORIZ AND 200 FT ABOVE. AT THE EARLIEST STAGE; THE TCASII TA WAS DISREGARDED BECAUSE WE KNEW THE TFC WAS THERE. I WAS FIXATED ON THE TFC AND CLBING. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE LEVELED OFF TO MAINTAIN SAFE SEPARATION. ALSO; IT STRIKES ME THAT ATC; WHILE HE RID HIMSELF OF THE BURDEN; LEFT US ON BASICALLY A COLLISION COURSE WITH TFC. A SUGGESTED HEADING FOR THE CLB WOULD HAVE ALSO PREVENTED ANY PROB.