Possible near midair collision occurred when a departing air carrier B727 drifted off course while s...

Attributes
ACN	364482
Time
Date	199703
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rno
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rno
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : private pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	364482
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	365113
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe conflict : nmac other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was flying the aircraft as first officer. When cleared for takeoff, I observed a light aircraft (probably a cessna -- it had a high wing) departing ahead of us, turning ssw, away from the departure course. No advisory concerning that traffic was given to us by tower when takeoff clearance was issued. When initiating the takeoff, I expected that the light aircraft would continue to diverge from our departure course. After takeoff and during initial climb out, I was unable to acquire the traffic visually, so I made a point of checking the TCASII display, which showed traffic directly ahead about 700 ft above us, at about 2 NM. (First range mark on 5 NM scope.) at that time, I initiated a radio call to tower 'where's the traffic for air carrier X?' the reply was either unreadable or 'stepped on,' but I think he said 'calling tower, say again.' the captain then advised tower of our TCASII traffic at 12 O'clock, the reply was that the traffic was 1 NM west of the localizer and diverging west. But our display by then showed it nearly on top of our own aircraft TCASII symbol. About the same time we received an RA (TCASII RA) to continue climb at greater than 2000 FPM. Our climb was already maxed out at about 2200-2500 FPM. Our attention was primarily focused outside, searching our forward sector visually for the traffic which we never did visually acquire. (According to our TCASII we passed directly overhead the traffic.) during this time our departure flight path had drifted to the left of the localizer. Tower advised us to correct back right, which I aggressively did. Tower also advised us of additional traffic at approximately 10 O'clock, which we also had on TCASII and visually, and was no factor. I believe our deviation east of the departure course was caused by TCASII advisory requiring greater outside vigilance and tower denying the conflict.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE NMAC OCCURRED WHEN A DEPARTING ACR B727 DRIFTED OFF COURSE WHILE SEARCHING FOR A VFR CESSNA DISPLAYED ON TCASII. FLC RECEIVED AN RA TO CLB. FLC QUERIED THE TWR ABOUT THE TFC AND WERE TOLD IT WAS 1 MI TO THE W OF THE LOC AND THAT THEY WERE L OF THE LOC AND TO CORRECT BACK. OTHER TFC AT 10-11 O'CLOCK INBOUND OBSERVED ON TCASII AND VISUALLY.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AS FO. WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF, I OBSERVED A LIGHT ACFT (PROBABLY A CESSNA -- IT HAD A HIGH WING) DEPARTING AHEAD OF US, TURNING SSW, AWAY FROM THE DEP COURSE. NO ADVISORY CONCERNING THAT TFC WAS GIVEN TO US BY TWR WHEN TKOF CLRNC WAS ISSUED. WHEN INITIATING THE TKOF, I EXPECTED THAT THE LIGHT ACFT WOULD CONTINUE TO DIVERGE FROM OUR DEP COURSE. AFTER TKOF AND DURING INITIAL CLBOUT, I WAS UNABLE TO ACQUIRE THE TFC VISUALLY, SO I MADE A POINT OF CHKING THE TCASII DISPLAY, WHICH SHOWED TFC DIRECTLY AHEAD ABOUT 700 FT ABOVE US, AT ABOUT 2 NM. (FIRST RANGE MARK ON 5 NM SCOPE.) AT THAT TIME, I INITIATED A RADIO CALL TO TWR 'WHERE'S THE TFC FOR ACR X?' THE REPLY WAS EITHER UNREADABLE OR 'STEPPED ON,' BUT I THINK HE SAID 'CALLING TWR, SAY AGAIN.' THE CAPT THEN ADVISED TWR OF OUR TCASII TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK, THE REPLY WAS THAT THE TFC WAS 1 NM W OF THE LOC AND DIVERGING W. BUT OUR DISPLAY BY THEN SHOWED IT NEARLY ON TOP OF OUR OWN ACFT TCASII SYMBOL. ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE RECEIVED AN RA (TCASII RA) TO CONTINUE CLB AT GREATER THAN 2000 FPM. OUR CLB WAS ALREADY MAXED OUT AT ABOUT 2200-2500 FPM. OUR ATTN WAS PRIMARILY FOCUSED OUTSIDE, SEARCHING OUR FORWARD SECTOR VISUALLY FOR THE TFC WHICH WE NEVER DID VISUALLY ACQUIRE. (ACCORDING TO OUR TCASII WE PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD THE TFC.) DURING THIS TIME OUR DEP FLT PATH HAD DRIFTED TO THE L OF THE LOC. TWR ADVISED US TO CORRECT BACK R, WHICH I AGGRESSIVELY DID. TWR ALSO ADVISED US OF ADDITIONAL TFC AT APPROX 10 O'CLOCK, WHICH WE ALSO HAD ON TCASII AND VISUALLY, AND WAS NO FACTOR. I BELIEVE OUR DEV E OF THE DEP COURSE WAS CAUSED BY TCASII ADVISORY REQUIRING GREATER OUTSIDE VIGILANCE AND TWR DENYING THE CONFLICT.

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.