Flight crew of an mdt stopped descending and climbed during approach in response to a TCASII RA.

Attributes
ACN	325943
Time
Date	199601
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cha
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cha
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 5300 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	325943
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

We were cleared to descend to 3500 ft. Leaving 3500 ft we were told by ATC traffic at 3000 ft VFR at 12 O'clock. We received a TCASII TA followed by an RA. We complied with RA and climbed to 4500 ft. VFR traffic went below us at 3500 ft, we made a normal descent, approach and landing into cha. We informed ATC that we had the traffic on TCASII. We informed ATC that we were complying with the RA. TCASII showed the traffic 200 ft below us and 12 O'clock. ATC was still trying to convince us that the traffic was level at 3000 ft. Even when we were performing the evasive maneuver, ATC was still talking as if it was no consequential event. I felt this was totally inappropriate. TCASII was vital in preventing a hazardous situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT STOPPED DSNDING AND CLBED DURING APCH IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 3500 FT. LEAVING 3500 FT WE WERE TOLD BY ATC TFC AT 3000 FT VFR AT 12 O'CLOCK. WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA FOLLOWED BY AN RA. WE COMPLIED WITH RA AND CLBED TO 4500 FT. VFR TFC WENT BELOW US AT 3500 FT, WE MADE A NORMAL DSCNT, APCH AND LNDG INTO CHA. WE INFORMED ATC THAT WE HAD THE TFC ON TCASII. WE INFORMED ATC THAT WE WERE COMPLYING WITH THE RA. TCASII SHOWED THE TFC 200 FT BELOW US AND 12 O'CLOCK. ATC WAS STILL TRYING TO CONVINCE US THAT THE TFC WAS LEVEL AT 3000 FT. EVEN WHEN WE WERE PERFORMING THE EVASIVE MANEUVER, ATC WAS STILL TALKING AS IF IT WAS NO CONSEQUENTIAL EVENT. I FELT THIS WAS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE. TCASII WAS VITAL IN PREVENTING A HAZARDOUS SIT.

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.