 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
S80 PIC report on potential conflict with unknown traffic on departure bur. TCASII RA called for descent as aircraft Y was 500 ft above. Controller had issued a turn for that traffic. Since reporter was already in the climb and a turn, he elected to ignore the RA command and continued his climb. Aircraft passed 1000 ft behind air carrier X at same altitude. Reporter says, 'TCASII software should be fixed.'
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 378505 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199708 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bur |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| 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 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 378505 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Deviation |
Narrative:
On climb out from bur at about 7000 ft for 13000 ft, we were given a right turn by TRACON to avoid opposite direction unknown traffic ahead. While in the turn we got a traffic alert on him. The display showed traffic 12 O'clock, 5 mi, about 500 ft above and level. We searched for the target without success while I increased our climb rate and turn rate, rolling out a few degrees right of our assigned heading for good measure. Just then, we got a TCASII RA 'reduce climb' followed immediately by 'descend.' from the change in the relative bearing of the target on the TCASII display and the sense that with our climb rate we could get safely above him in the remaining distance, and the fact that TRACON seemed happy with our lateral separation, I judged that the safest thing to do was keep climbing at our best rate. We quickly passed through the target's altitude and were 200 ft or 300 ft above him when he passed about 1 mi abeam on the left. At this point the TCASII RA changed to 'descend crossing descend' then 'clear of conflict.' the last RA seemed particularly mindless as we were already above the target and climbing rapidly. I think our TCASII may have been attempting to coordinate maneuvers with a non existent TCASII aboard the intruder and I foiled its plans by countermanding its initial instruction, but that's no excuse. The TCASII software should be fixed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: S80 PIC RPT ON POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH UNKNOWN TFC ON DEP BUR. TCASII RA CALLED FOR DSCNT AS ACFT Y WAS 500 FT ABOVE. CTLR HAD ISSUED A TURN FOR THAT TFC. SINCE RPTR WAS ALREADY IN THE CLB AND A TURN, HE ELECTED TO IGNORE THE RA COMMAND AND CONTINUED HIS CLB. ACFT PASSED 1000 FT BEHIND ACR X AT SAME ALT. RPTR SAYS, 'TCASII SOFTWARE SHOULD BE FIXED.'
Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM BUR AT ABOUT 7000 FT FOR 13000 FT, WE WERE GIVEN A R TURN BY TRACON TO AVOID OPPOSITE DIRECTION UNKNOWN TFC AHEAD. WHILE IN THE TURN WE GOT A TFC ALERT ON HIM. THE DISPLAY SHOWED TFC 12 O'CLOCK, 5 MI, ABOUT 500 FT ABOVE AND LEVEL. WE SEARCHED FOR THE TARGET WITHOUT SUCCESS WHILE I INCREASED OUR CLB RATE AND TURN RATE, ROLLING OUT A FEW DEGS R OF OUR ASSIGNED HDG FOR GOOD MEASURE. JUST THEN, WE GOT A TCASII RA 'REDUCE CLB' FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY 'DSND.' FROM THE CHANGE IN THE RELATIVE BEARING OF THE TARGET ON THE TCASII DISPLAY AND THE SENSE THAT WITH OUR CLB RATE WE COULD GET SAFELY ABOVE HIM IN THE REMAINING DISTANCE, AND THE FACT THAT TRACON SEEMED HAPPY WITH OUR LATERAL SEPARATION, I JUDGED THAT THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS KEEP CLBING AT OUR BEST RATE. WE QUICKLY PASSED THROUGH THE TARGET'S ALT AND WERE 200 FT OR 300 FT ABOVE HIM WHEN HE PASSED ABOUT 1 MI ABEAM ON THE L. AT THIS POINT THE TCASII RA CHANGED TO 'DSND XING DSND' THEN 'CLR OF CONFLICT.' THE LAST RA SEEMED PARTICULARLY MINDLESS AS WE WERE ALREADY ABOVE THE TARGET AND CLBING RAPIDLY. I THINK OUR TCASII MAY HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO COORDINATE MANEUVERS WITH A NON EXISTENT TCASII ABOARD THE INTRUDER AND I FOILED ITS PLANS BY COUNTERMANDING ITS INITIAL INSTRUCTION, BUT THAT'S NO EXCUSE. THE TCASII SOFTWARE SHOULD BE FIXED.
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.