Air carrier medium large transport got 2 false TCASII warnings during steep descent into rno.

Attributes
ACN	194056
Time
Date	199111
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rno
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rno tracon : alb
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	194056
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While descending into reno, nv, airport and IMC, the TCASII alerted us to possible traffic and instructed us to 'climb.' I asked approach if they showed any traffic in our area and they said no traffic observed. Approximately 1 min later same TCASII warning as above and again no traffic observed by ATC. We took no corrective action as the TCASII warning stopped before we could initiate a climb from our high rate of descent. My feeling was that the TCASII system was in error and wrote up the problem in the aircraft logbook.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG GOT 2 FALSE TCASII WARNINGS DURING STEEP DSCNT INTO RNO.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING INTO RENO, NV, ARPT AND IMC, THE TCASII ALERTED US TO POSSIBLE TFC AND INSTRUCTED US TO 'CLB.' I ASKED APCH IF THEY SHOWED ANY TFC IN OUR AREA AND THEY SAID NO TFC OBSERVED. APPROX 1 MIN LATER SAME TCASII WARNING AS ABOVE AND AGAIN NO TFC OBSERVED BY ATC. WE TOOK NO CORRECTIVE ACTION AS THE TCASII WARNING STOPPED BEFORE WE COULD INITIATE A CLB FROM OUR HIGH RATE OF DSCNT. MY FEELING WAS THAT THE TCASII SYS WAS IN ERROR AND WROTE UP THE PROBLEM IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK.

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.