Narrative:

On jun/xa/97 we departed lga on an air carrier flight. We were given the maspeth climb off of runway 13. Departure control gave us a climb to 6000 ft. Shortly thereafter we were given a right turn to 360 degrees. Out of 4500-5000 ft (approximately) the controller called VFR traffic for us at our 2 O'clock at 6500 ft. As we were approaching clouds the chances of our spotting the traffic were slim. When we acknowledged the traffic call, we informed the controller that we were about to enter the clouds. At about this time, we received a TCASII RA to monitor vertical speed. I followed the TCASII RA while the first officer and flight engineer attempted to acquire the traffic visually. We obtained visual when the VFR aircraft popped out of the clouds at about 1-2 O'clock position, and about 1 mi horizontal. The VFR aircraft descended as it passed close behind us (approximately 1/2 mi) without clearance in order 'to maintain VFR' as the pilot reported. The controller then admonished the pilot not to descend without clearance in class B airspace. The controller stated to the VFR pilot, 'that could have been really bad.' we are convinced that without TCASII we would have had a midair. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is an air carrier captain of a B727-200. He said that after the flight he called N90 and talked to a supervisor who allegedly told him that the AA5 pilot was lost on both transponder and skin paint shortly after the incident only to reappear near ewr and again was lost when questioned about his unauthorized route of flight and change of altitude. The supervisor indicated that the FAA was interested in that pilot's activities. The captain was impressed with the TCASII's reaction as the situation developed in that it initially advised that the flight crew leveloff when the AA5 was descending and then advised a climb when the AA5 continued to descend toward the B727's altitude. He was appreciative that TCASII worked as designed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THIS ACR B727 FLC HAD A CLOSE CONFLICT WITH AN AA5 PLT WHO DSNDED WITHOUT A CLRNC IN CLASS B AIRSPACE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMAIN IN VISUAL CONDITIONS. THE B727 FLC CREDITS THEIR TCASII EQUIP WITH PREVENTING A MIDAIR COLLISION.

Narrative: ON JUN/XA/97 WE DEPARTED LGA ON AN ACR FLT. WE WERE GIVEN THE MASPETH CLB OFF OF RWY 13. DEP CTL GAVE US A CLB TO 6000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE GIVEN A R TURN TO 360 DEGS. OUT OF 4500-5000 FT (APPROX) THE CTLR CALLED VFR TFC FOR US AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK AT 6500 FT. AS WE WERE APCHING CLOUDS THE CHANCES OF OUR SPOTTING THE TFC WERE SLIM. WHEN WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE TFC CALL, WE INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER THE CLOUDS. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, WE RECEIVED A TCASII RA TO MONITOR VERT SPD. I FOLLOWED THE TCASII RA WHILE THE FO AND FE ATTEMPTED TO ACQUIRE THE TFC VISUALLY. WE OBTAINED VISUAL WHEN THE VFR ACFT POPPED OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 1-2 O'CLOCK POS, AND ABOUT 1 MI HORIZ. THE VFR ACFT DSNDED AS IT PASSED CLOSE BEHIND US (APPROX 1/2 MI) WITHOUT CLRNC IN ORDER 'TO MAINTAIN VFR' AS THE PLT RPTED. THE CTLR THEN ADMONISHED THE PLT NOT TO DSND WITHOUT CLRNC IN CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE CTLR STATED TO THE VFR PLT, 'THAT COULD HAVE BEEN REALLY BAD.' WE ARE CONVINCED THAT WITHOUT TCASII WE WOULD HAVE HAD A MIDAIR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS AN ACR CAPT OF A B727-200. HE SAID THAT AFTER THE FLT HE CALLED N90 AND TALKED TO A SUPVR WHO ALLEGEDLY TOLD HIM THAT THE AA5 PLT WAS LOST ON BOTH XPONDER AND SKIN PAINT SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT ONLY TO REAPPEAR NEAR EWR AND AGAIN WAS LOST WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT HIS UNAUTH RTE OF FLT AND CHANGE OF ALT. THE SUPVR INDICATED THAT THE FAA WAS INTERESTED IN THAT PLT'S ACTIVITIES. THE CAPT WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE TCASII'S REACTION AS THE SIT DEVELOPED IN THAT IT INITIALLY ADVISED THAT THE FLC LEVELOFF WHEN THE AA5 WAS DSNDING AND THEN ADVISED A CLB WHEN THE AA5 CONTINUED TO DSND TOWARD THE B727'S ALT. HE WAS APPRECIATIVE THAT TCASII WORKED AS DESIGNED.

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.