Narrative:

I am a line check airman for my company and was in the right seat while a new captain was getting his FAA observed line check. We had departed reno en route to lax, and were on an assigned heading of 160 degrees prior to intercepting J7. We leveled at 15000 ft and had just gotten the handoff from reno departure to ZOA frequency 128.80. Switched over, was waiting to get a word in, when we heard a citation check in 'off douglas county airport out of 12500 ft, VFR, like to pick up our IFR clearance.' we got the first hit on our TCASII at our 2 O'clock on the inner ring -- yellow, 1000 ft below us, the 2ND hit we got was 12-1 O'clock, 500 ft below us, and about 1 mi. TCASII immediately gave us an RA, descend, descend now, increase descent. The PF pushed the nose over, and caught the overspd warning clacker. The altitude alerter then went off because we were off our assigned altitude responding to the RA. ATC was calling to see if we had traffic 12 O'clock our altitude in sight, and the FAA inspector on the jumpseat jumps up, points at our 12 O'clock position 'I've got him!' the citation passed over us by 500-1000 ft. Questions I have are why did reno departure not alert us to the traffic, even if it was only a primary target. Why did our TCASII not get the traffic until he was so close. Was his transponder working? Human factors: an FAA observed flight for a new captain is a stressful situation anyway. Add on to that, TCASII RA, ATC, overspd clacker, and altitude alerter, plus the inspector jumping up and pointing out traffic and an airplane coming at you with a high closure rate in a 15 second window of time, and I think he did a fine job. There are times when a master mute switch would be wonderful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED ALT IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA.

Narrative: I AM A LINE CHK AIRMAN FOR MY COMPANY AND WAS IN THE R SEAT WHILE A NEW CAPT WAS GETTING HIS FAA OBSERVED LINE CHK. WE HAD DEPARTED RENO ENRTE TO LAX, AND WERE ON AN ASSIGNED HEADING OF 160 DEGS PRIOR TO INTERCEPTING J7. WE LEVELED AT 15000 FT AND HAD JUST GOTTEN THE HDOF FROM RENO DEP TO ZOA FREQ 128.80. SWITCHED OVER, WAS WAITING TO GET A WORD IN, WHEN WE HEARD A CITATION CHK IN 'OFF DOUGLAS COUNTY ARPT OUT OF 12500 FT, VFR, LIKE TO PICK UP OUR IFR CLRNC.' WE GOT THE FIRST HIT ON OUR TCASII AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK ON THE INNER RING -- YELLOW, 1000 FT BELOW US, THE 2ND HIT WE GOT WAS 12-1 O'CLOCK, 500 FT BELOW US, AND ABOUT 1 MI. TCASII IMMEDIATELY GAVE US AN RA, DSND, DSND NOW, INCREASE DSCNT. THE PF PUSHED THE NOSE OVER, AND CAUGHT THE OVERSPD WARNING CLACKER. THE ALT ALERTER THEN WENT OFF BECAUSE WE WERE OFF OUR ASSIGNED ALT RESPONDING TO THE RA. ATC WAS CALLING TO SEE IF WE HAD TFC 12 O'CLOCK OUR ALT IN SIGHT, AND THE FAA INSPECTOR ON THE JUMPSEAT JUMPS UP, POINTS AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS 'I'VE GOT HIM!' THE CITATION PASSED OVER US BY 500-1000 FT. QUESTIONS I HAVE ARE WHY DID RENO DEP NOT ALERT US TO THE TFC, EVEN IF IT WAS ONLY A PRIMARY TARGET. WHY DID OUR TCASII NOT GET THE TFC UNTIL HE WAS SO CLOSE. WAS HIS XPONDER WORKING? HUMAN FACTORS: AN FAA OBSERVED FLT FOR A NEW CAPT IS A STRESSFUL SIT ANYWAY. ADD ON TO THAT, TCASII RA, ATC, OVERSPD CLACKER, AND ALT ALERTER, PLUS THE INSPECTOR JUMPING UP AND POINTING OUT TFC AND AN AIRPLANE COMING AT YOU WITH A HIGH CLOSURE RATE IN A 15 SECOND WINDOW OF TIME, AND I THINK HE DID A FINE JOB. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN A MASTER MUTE SWITCH WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

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.