Flight crew of a DC9-30 stopped descending on a visual approach and climbed in response to a TCASII RA from a government aeronautical commander traversing their flight path ahead. Approach radar controller gave an advisory of the commander and instructed reporter to descend. However, reporter responded again to another RA from the same aircraft and climbed. Subsequently observed the aircraft pass overhead.

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Attributes
ACN	404487
Time
Date	199806
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lga
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Rockwell North American Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	404487
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

ATC vectored us to the verazano bridge and then to follow the hudson river. Descending out of 7000 ft at 1000 FPM descent, ATC issued traffic (2). Noticed target at about 11:30 O'clock position on TCASII at -300 ft. Then ATC issued expedite descent to 4000 ft. At that point we gained visual contact and TCASII issued RA to climb at 1500 FPM. Disconnected autoplt and climbed till advised by TCASII. Kept eyes on traffic as it passed underneath then turned to parallel our course off right wing. As we leveled, we received another RA again to climb. Shortly after initiating second climb, RA disappeared and we started expedited descent. After first RA, ATC inquired immediately if we were descending and we replied that we had encountered an RA. We called them on the ground per their request. ATC informed me that the target/aeronautical commander was government surveillance taking pictures of drug deals. It would seem that a more appropriate means of surveillance could be used rather than the descent corridor in one of the busiest airspaces.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC9-30 STOPPED DSNDING ON A VISUAL APCH AND CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA FROM A GOV AERO COMMANDER TRAVERSING THEIR FLT PATH AHEAD. APCH RADAR CTLR GAVE AN ADVISORY OF THE COMMANDER AND INSTRUCTED RPTR TO DSND. HOWEVER, RPTR RESPONDED AGAIN TO ANOTHER RA FROM THE SAME ACFT AND CLBED. SUBSEQUENTLY OBSERVED THE ACFT PASS OVERHEAD.

Narrative: ATC VECTORED US TO THE VERAZANO BRIDGE AND THEN TO FOLLOW THE HUDSON RIVER. DSNDING OUT OF 7000 FT AT 1000 FPM DSCNT, ATC ISSUED TFC (2). NOTICED TARGET AT ABOUT 11:30 O'CLOCK POS ON TCASII AT -300 FT. THEN ATC ISSUED EXPEDITE DSCNT TO 4000 FT. AT THAT POINT WE GAINED VISUAL CONTACT AND TCASII ISSUED RA TO CLB AT 1500 FPM. DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND CLBED TILL ADVISED BY TCASII. KEPT EYES ON TFC AS IT PASSED UNDERNEATH THEN TURNED TO PARALLEL OUR COURSE OFF R WING. AS WE LEVELED, WE RECEIVED ANOTHER RA AGAIN TO CLB. SHORTLY AFTER INITIATING SECOND CLB, RA DISAPPEARED AND WE STARTED EXPEDITED DSCNT. AFTER FIRST RA, ATC INQUIRED IMMEDIATELY IF WE WERE DSNDING AND WE REPLIED THAT WE HAD ENCOUNTERED AN RA. WE CALLED THEM ON THE GND PER THEIR REQUEST. ATC INFORMED ME THAT THE TARGET/AERO COMMANDER WAS GOV SURVEILLANCE TAKING PICTURES OF DRUG DEALS. IT WOULD SEEM THAT A MORE APPROPRIATE MEANS OF SURVEILLANCE COULD BE USED RATHER THAN THE DSCNT CORRIDOR IN ONE OF THE BUSIEST AIRSPACES.

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.