Narrative:

Immediately after takeoff and climbing through 500 ft AGL we received a TCASII TA (RA deactivated due to current operating restriction) that indicated an aircraft at 11 O'clock and approximately 1 mi 200 ft below us. We were still in the initial takeoff/climb attitude of approximately 16 degree nose up and never visually saw the other aircraft. We reported the incident to departure control and asked if there was any other known traffic in vicinity as we suspected possible equipment malfunction. Departure control said they would do a search. In the midst of our concern for a potentially serious conflict, the first officer (PF) passed through our assigned altitude of 5000 ft. At 5600 ft I brought it to his attention and he immediately began to correct. Simultaneously, departure control gave us a new assigned altitude of 6000 ft. 2 lessons: after a TCASII event is over with, forget it, and return to the primary task of flying the airplane. We allowed the event to continue to distraction us after the conflict was cleared. Departure control later told us there was a traffic helicopter in our vicinity at the time of the TCASII TA. I feel this is information the tower controller should have known about and passed along prior to departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE DISTR BY A TCASII TA FLC CLBS 600 FT BEYOND THEIR ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF AND CLBING THROUGH 500 FT AGL WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA (RA DEACTIVATED DUE TO CURRENT OPERATING RESTRICTION) THAT INDICATED AN ACFT AT 11 O'CLOCK AND APPROX 1 MI 200 FT BELOW US. WE WERE STILL IN THE INITIAL TKOF/CLB ATTITUDE OF APPROX 16 DEG NOSE UP AND NEVER VISUALLY SAW THE OTHER ACFT. WE RPTED THE INCIDENT TO DEP CTL AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER KNOWN TFC IN VICINITY AS WE SUSPECTED POSSIBLE EQUIP MALFUNCTION. DEP CTL SAID THEY WOULD DO A SEARCH. IN THE MIDST OF OUR CONCERN FOR A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS CONFLICT, THE FO (PF) PASSED THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000 FT. AT 5600 FT I BROUGHT IT TO HIS ATTN AND HE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO CORRECT. SIMULTANEOUSLY, DEP CTL GAVE US A NEW ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000 FT. 2 LESSONS: AFTER A TCASII EVENT IS OVER WITH, FORGET IT, AND RETURN TO THE PRIMARY TASK OF FLYING THE AIRPLANE. WE ALLOWED THE EVENT TO CONTINUE TO DISTR US AFTER THE CONFLICT WAS CLRED. DEP CTL LATER TOLD US THERE WAS A TFC HELI IN OUR VICINITY AT THE TIME OF THE TCASII TA. I FEEL THIS IS INFO THE TWR CTLR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT AND PASSED ALONG PRIOR TO DEP.

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.