An air carrier medium large transport pilot climbed in response to a TCASII command.

Attributes
ACN	239287
Time
Date	199304
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msy
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : msy
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	239287
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 4000 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Foreign airliner failed to level off at 3000 ft. We climbed to 5000 ft and told controller what we were doing and why. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter regrets that he did not use the magic words 'TCASII' in his report. TCASII was the agent that warned the reporter that there was another aircraft in the vicinity. The intruding aircraft was flown by a spanish speaker whose english was very bad. The language problem alerted the reporter that there might be a problem, and TCASII verified the altitude deviation. The reporter stated that the FAA talked to him about this incident and that the particulars would be sent on to the state department for further action. The reporter never saw the intruder as he was into and out of a series of layered clouds. There was a giant thunderstorm in the vicinity. The reporter was inbound to msy, the intruder outbound.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG PLT CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII COMMAND.

Narrative: FOREIGN AIRLINER FAILED TO LEVEL OFF AT 3000 FT. WE CLBED TO 5000 FT AND TOLD CTLR WHAT WE WERE DOING AND WHY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR REGRETS THAT HE DID NOT USE THE MAGIC WORDS 'TCASII' IN HIS RPT. TCASII WAS THE AGENT THAT WARNED THE RPTR THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT IN THE VICINITY. THE INTRUDING ACFT WAS FLOWN BY A SPANISH SPEAKER WHOSE ENGLISH WAS VERY BAD. THE LANGUAGE PROB ALERTED THE RPTR THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PROB, AND TCASII VERIFIED THE ALTDEV. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA TALKED TO HIM ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND THAT THE PARTICULARS WOULD BE SENT ON TO THE STATE DEPT FOR FURTHER ACTION. THE RPTR NEVER SAW THE INTRUDER AS HE WAS INTO AND OUT OF A SERIES OF LAYERED CLOUDS. THERE WAS A GIANT TSTM IN THE VICINITY. THE RPTR WAS INBOUND TO MSY, THE INTRUDER OUTBOUND.

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.