Evasive action descent by air carrier medium large transport on a ghost aircraft. False warning.

Attributes
ACN	269045
Time
Date	199404
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pdz airport : ont
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8100 msl bound upper : 8200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ont
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time total : 12000
ASRS Report	269045
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

In climb passing 8200 ft, we received one TCASII traffic call with the simultaneous appearance of TCASII target. Within 2 seconds target turned red and was accompanied by the RA instruction, 'descend.' target altitude indicated plus 200 ft directly overhead. An immediate descent was initiated with red target indicating plus 100 ft directly overhead. We notified ATC of deviation. ATC had no radar contact with target. We descended to 8100 ft before recovering with clear of conflict TCASII indication.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EVASIVE ACTION DSCNT BY ACR MLG ON A GHOST ACFT. FALSE WARNING.

Narrative: IN CLB PASSING 8200 FT, WE RECEIVED ONE TCASII TFC CALL WITH THE SIMULTANEOUS APPEARANCE OF TCASII TARGET. WITHIN 2 SECONDS TARGET TURNED RED AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE RA INSTRUCTION, 'DSND.' TARGET ALT INDICATED PLUS 200 FT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT WAS INITIATED WITH RED TARGET INDICATING PLUS 100 FT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. WE NOTIFIED ATC OF DEV. ATC HAD NO RADAR CONTACT WITH TARGET. WE DSNDED TO 8100 FT BEFORE RECOVERING WITH CLR OF CONFLICT TCASII INDICATION.

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.