Light transport aircraft in cruise received TCASII RA from descending aircraft which had been cleared to maintain visual separation from reporter aircraft. Reporter didn't take evasive action, but thought the descending aircraft was too close.

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Attributes
ACN	388080
Time
Date	199712
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rod
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : zid
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	388080
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Center calls B737 traffic, 12 O'clock, 1000 ft above us, opposite direction. We reply traffic in sight. We also have him on TCASII. B737 subsequently reports us in sight, and is granted a visual descent through our altitude. When B737 starts descending we got TCASII TA. We subsequently get TCASII RA to climb. Autoplt still engaged, but I position my hands on controls, just to be ready. B737 passes just below and to our port side. I don't alter our flight path, as collision does not seem likely. I would not classify this as a near miss, but I feel the B737 passed much too close to us for comfort. Any passenger looking out the window would've surely been alarmed. I believe the B737 crew should have delayed their descent just a bit. I don't hold ATC responsible, and neither of us said anything to center. One other issue: I deliberately ignored the TCASII RA because it was unnecessary. This is not a policy I have, but a reflection of the fact that we are humans and not machines. I have followed RA's in the past where it involved VFR aircraft that were not talking to ATC. I have similarly ignored GPWS warnings when they were superfluous, in day VMC only, of course.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT ACFT IN CRUISE RECEIVED TCASII RA FROM DSNDING ACFT WHICH HAD BEEN CLRED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM RPTR ACFT. RPTR DIDN'T TAKE EVASIVE ACTION, BUT THOUGHT THE DSNDING ACFT WAS TOO CLOSE.

Narrative: CTR CALLS B737 TFC, 12 O'CLOCK, 1000 FT ABOVE US, OPPOSITE DIRECTION. WE REPLY TFC IN SIGHT. WE ALSO HAVE HIM ON TCASII. B737 SUBSEQUENTLY RPTS US IN SIGHT, AND IS GRANTED A VISUAL DSCNT THROUGH OUR ALT. WHEN B737 STARTS DSNDING WE GOT TCASII TA. WE SUBSEQUENTLY GET TCASII RA TO CLB. AUTOPLT STILL ENGAGED, BUT I POS MY HANDS ON CTLS, JUST TO BE READY. B737 PASSES JUST BELOW AND TO OUR PORT SIDE. I DON'T ALTER OUR FLT PATH, AS COLLISION DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY. I WOULD NOT CLASSIFY THIS AS A NEAR MISS, BUT I FEEL THE B737 PASSED MUCH TOO CLOSE TO US FOR COMFORT. ANY PAX LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW WOULD'VE SURELY BEEN ALARMED. I BELIEVE THE B737 CREW SHOULD HAVE DELAYED THEIR DSCNT JUST A BIT. I DON'T HOLD ATC RESPONSIBLE, AND NEITHER OF US SAID ANYTHING TO CTR. ONE OTHER ISSUE: I DELIBERATELY IGNORED THE TCASII RA BECAUSE IT WAS UNNECESSARY. THIS IS NOT A POLICY I HAVE, BUT A REFLECTION OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE HUMANS AND NOT MACHINES. I HAVE FOLLOWED RA'S IN THE PAST WHERE IT INVOLVED VFR ACFT THAT WERE NOT TALKING TO ATC. I HAVE SIMILARLY IGNORED GPWS WARNINGS WHEN THEY WERE SUPERFLUOUS, IN DAY VMC ONLY, OF COURSE.

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.