Flight crew of widebody transport had RA at FL310 climbed to clear the RA. False warning.

Attributes
ACN	175363
Time
Date	199104
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mod
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31600 msl bound upper : 32000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : zoa
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	175363
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

TCAS error: during descent from FL350 to FL310 the TCAS gave an unexplained 'climb, climb' command at FL31.6. We climbed to FL320. The first officer saw a momentary red arc on the vertical speed and I (the captain) saw a momentary rad mark on the radar screen. There was no 'traffic traffic' call nor a 'clear of conflict' call. All this resulted in a good deal of confusion. Additionally, the controller did not know what an 'RA' was but didn't seem to care either.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF WDB HAD RA AT FL310 CLIMBED TO CLEAR THE RA. FALSE WARNING.

Narrative: TCAS ERROR: DURING DSNT FROM FL350 TO FL310 THE TCAS GAVE AN UNEXPLAINED 'CLB, CLB' COMMAND AT FL31.6. WE CLBED TO FL320. THE F/O SAW A MOMENTARY RED ARC ON THE VERT SPD AND I (THE CAPT) SAW A MOMENTARY RAD MARK ON THE RADAR SCREEN. THERE WAS NO 'TFC TFC' CALL NOR A 'CLR OF CONFLICT' CALL. ALL THIS RESULTED IN A GOOD DEAL OF CONFUSION. ADDITIONALLY, THE CTLR DID NOT KNOW WHAT AN 'RA' WAS BUT DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE EITHER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.