LATE CALL FROM DEP CTLR ALLOWS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT TO DEVELOP BTWN AN ACR B737 AND AN SMA; OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC.

Narrative

ON CLBOUT ON DUDES 9 DEP AT 6600 FT TCASII GAVE A TA FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY RA. TCASII INDICATED TFC L AND 800 FT ABOVE. I ASKED SACRAMENTO DEP IF HE HAD TFC FOR US. HE CALLED OUT VFR TFC AT 6500 FT AND 'SORRY FOR THE LATE CALL.' HE ADVISED US TO DSND TO 6000 FT; HOWEVER; THE TFC HAD ALREADY PASSED AS THE COPLT LEVELED OFF AND STARTED TO DSND TO 6000 FT. WE PICKED UP THE SMALL LOW WING SINGLE ENG ACFT VISUALLY AS HE PASSED US; TURNING AWAY; IN A STEEP R BANK. THIS SIT WAS A POTENTIAL MID-AIR. WE WERE CLBING AND THE LIGHT ACFT WAS DSNDING ON A COLLISION COURSE. CERTAINLY WE HAVE SEEN ACFT CLOSER; AS THE FO IS A FORMER F16 PLT; WHILE I WAS ONCE A MIL AIR TRAINING COMMAND INSTRUCTOR. HOWEVER; IT IS COMMON TO RECEIVE TA AND RA ALERTS; ESPECIALLY AROUND ARPTS AND NOT TAKE ACTION; BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ACFT IN SIGHT. IN THIS CASE WE DID NOT SEE THE LIGHT ACFT; INITIALLY; AND DID NOT RECEIVE A TA FROM SACRAMENTO DEP. ALTHOUGH THE TCASII DID GIVE US AN ALERT; THE SAFETY SYS BREAKS DOWN WITHOUT TIMELY ATC TFC ALERTS.