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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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B727 descending on vectors has an near midair collision and got a TCASII RA on an small aircraft. Reporter claims the small aircraft was not visible to rno approach controller but that he was squawking else the TCASII would not have alarmed. ATC claims there are blind radar spots in the arrival area. If TCASII was followed, how come there was no vertical separation?
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 361759 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : rno |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9400 msl bound upper : 9400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : rno artcc : zse |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 180 |
| ASRS Report | 361759 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 100 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While under control of rno approach, being vectored for a localizer back course DME runway 34L to rno, at approximately 15 mi southeast of rno, and descending from 9600 ft to 9000 ft we got a TA and an RA from TCASII. We followed the RA, and at approximately 9400 ft MSL, saw a light aircraft in our window, approximately 100 ft! We evaded that traffic, which was not visible to rno approach. TCASII saved the day. Without it, we would have had a midair. It's really unfortunate that approach control does not have radar for its approach corridor. I was told by the supervisor that scud runners use the ATC blind spots for arrival and departure to nearby fields. This situation is an accident waiting to happen. P.south. That light aircraft was clueless. He never saw us, but he was squawking, otherwise our TCASII may not have given us the life saving RA. Also, the other aircraft was not legal VFR.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B727 DSNDING ON VECTORS HAS AN NMAC AND GOT A TCASII RA ON AN SMA. RPTR CLAIMS THE SMA WAS NOT VISIBLE TO RNO APCH CTLR BUT THAT HE WAS SQUAWKING ELSE THE TCASII WOULD NOT HAVE ALARMED. ATC CLAIMS THERE ARE BLIND RADAR SPOTS IN THE ARR AREA. IF TCASII WAS FOLLOWED, HOW COME THERE WAS NO VERT SEPARATION?
Narrative: WHILE UNDER CTL OF RNO APCH, BEING VECTORED FOR A LOC BACK COURSE DME RWY 34L TO RNO, AT APPROX 15 MI SE OF RNO, AND DSNDING FROM 9600 FT TO 9000 FT WE GOT A TA AND AN RA FROM TCASII. WE FOLLOWED THE RA, AND AT APPROX 9400 FT MSL, SAW A LIGHT ACFT IN OUR WINDOW, APPROX 100 FT! WE EVADED THAT TFC, WHICH WAS NOT VISIBLE TO RNO APCH. TCASII SAVED THE DAY. WITHOUT IT, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A MIDAIR. IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE THAT APCH CTL DOES NOT HAVE RADAR FOR ITS APCH CORRIDOR. I WAS TOLD BY THE SUPVR THAT SCUD RUNNERS USE THE ATC BLIND SPOTS FOR ARR AND DEP TO NEARBY FIELDS. THIS SIT IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. P.S. THAT LIGHT ACFT WAS CLUELESS. HE NEVER SAW US, BUT HE WAS SQUAWKING, OTHERWISE OUR TCASII MAY NOT HAVE GIVEN US THE LIFE SAVING RA. ALSO, THE OTHER ACFT WAS NOT LEGAL VFR.
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.