Narrative:

We were departing dca to roc and cleared to 17000 ft. At 9600 ft we received a TA, checked the TCASII and observed that there was an intruder at 12 - 1 O'clock, plus 08 and 1.5 mi. I, the PNF, immediately changed the TCASII display to the 5 mi range and called out that the target was 'a conflict and above us.' the captain began to stop our ascent. I visually acquired the target. We received the 'descend' RA. Dca departure gave us a frequency change to dca center (which I temporarily ignored). The captain initiated the descent. The RA changed to 'monitor vertical speed.' dca departure (in a stern tone) again gave us the frequency change. I then advised him we had a TCASII RA with an actual traffic conflict and that we would talk to him in a min. Dca departure said that the target was 'VFR at 10.5 and not talking to anybody.' TCASII advised us that we were 'clear of conflict.' we passed 1000 ft below the small aircraft Y and well within 200 ft laterally. I then took the frequency change and we continued the climb. After a couple of mins, I called back to dca departure to get a telephone number just in case we wanted to discuss the event after the flight and was told by the controller that he had informed his supervisor. He reiterated that the traffic wasn't talking to anyone and that the radar hit was intermittent of the conflicting traffic. The bottom line is that we were never informed of the conflicting VFR traffic. Obviously the intruder aircraft was transponder/altitude encoder equipped and the controller (by his own admission) knew of his presence and that the small aircraft Y wasn't talking to anybody. We acquired the traffic visually after the TCASII pointed it out. We may have wound up seeing the intruder aircraft -- maybe not. We may have hit the intruder aircraft -- maybe not. The TCASII helped save the day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEPARTING ACR GETS A TCASII RA FROM A VFR ACFT AT 9500 FT.

Narrative: WE WERE DEPARTING DCA TO ROC AND CLRED TO 17000 FT. AT 9600 FT WE RECEIVED A TA, CHKED THE TCASII AND OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS AN INTRUDER AT 12 - 1 O'CLOCK, PLUS 08 AND 1.5 MI. I, THE PNF, IMMEDIATELY CHANGED THE TCASII DISPLAY TO THE 5 MI RANGE AND CALLED OUT THAT THE TARGET WAS 'A CONFLICT AND ABOVE US.' THE CAPT BEGAN TO STOP OUR ASCENT. I VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE TARGET. WE RECEIVED THE 'DSND' RA. DCA DEP GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE TO DCA CTR (WHICH I TEMPORARILY IGNORED). THE CAPT INITIATED THE DSCNT. THE RA CHANGED TO 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' DCA DEP (IN A STERN TONE) AGAIN GAVE US THE FREQ CHANGE. I THEN ADVISED HIM WE HAD A TCASII RA WITH AN ACTUAL TFC CONFLICT AND THAT WE WOULD TALK TO HIM IN A MIN. DCA DEP SAID THAT THE TARGET WAS 'VFR AT 10.5 AND NOT TALKING TO ANYBODY.' TCASII ADVISED US THAT WE WERE 'CLR OF CONFLICT.' WE PASSED 1000 FT BELOW THE SMA Y AND WELL WITHIN 200 FT LATERALLY. I THEN TOOK THE FREQ CHANGE AND WE CONTINUED THE CLB. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS, I CALLED BACK TO DCA DEP TO GET A TELEPHONE NUMBER JUST IN CASE WE WANTED TO DISCUSS THE EVENT AFTER THE FLT AND WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR THAT HE HAD INFORMED HIS SUPVR. HE REITERATED THAT THE TFC WASN'T TALKING TO ANYONE AND THAT THE RADAR HIT WAS INTERMITTENT OF THE CONFLICTING TFC. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE WERE NEVER INFORMED OF THE CONFLICTING VFR TFC. OBVIOUSLY THE INTRUDER ACFT WAS XPONDER/ALT ENCODER EQUIPPED AND THE CTLR (BY HIS OWN ADMISSION) KNEW OF HIS PRESENCE AND THAT THE SMA Y WASN'T TALKING TO ANYBODY. WE ACQUIRED THE TFC VISUALLY AFTER THE TCASII POINTED IT OUT. WE MAY HAVE WOUND UP SEEING THE INTRUDER ACFT -- MAYBE NOT. WE MAY HAVE HIT THE INTRUDER ACFT -- MAYBE NOT. THE TCASII HELPED SAVE THE DAY.

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.