Narrative:

After takeoff, gear up, flaps 8 degrees, starting right turn to 280 degrees. About 1/2 way through turn, got a TCASII TA showing traffic close to us at 500-400 ft. We were at about 5500 ft. I started to increase climb rate and looked out window for traffic. Within 1/2 second, TA became an RA with voice, 'descend, descend' and vsi overlay showing maximum rate descent of 4000 FPM. The red icon stayed on top of the airplane, depicting us through the descent to about 5000 ft. Since I have received RA's for ghost echoes on the TCASII before, I suspected this was the case. The red icon stayed on top of us, and the TCASII vsi overlay still showed maximum rate descent as I began to climb again. The altitude of the ghost echo climbed as I climbed, matching our altimeter almost perfectly. The RA stayed on up to 11000 ft until it was turned to standby, then on. It seemed to operate normal after that. During the occurrence, the first officer notified departure that we were descending because of an RA on our TCASII. They informed us that they were not showing any other target on radar in our vicinity. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting captain stated that he did not know the exact make and model of the TCASII installed on his company CL65 aircraft, but believed it to be made by collins. He believes that it may be common to all CL65 aircraft, since the same TCASII equipment is used in the simulator which is owned by another operator. Therefore, it is possible that all CL65 regional jets may have the same TCASII make and model. He further stated that he has experienced this same ghost, or false target condition, several times before this incident -- twice during approachs to slc, once into abq, and once on approach to boi. He also stated that other pilots complained of the same problem with the same type of aircraft. His company has TCASII installed on EMB120 aircraft, and have heard no complaints of this problem happening on these aircraft. He further reiterated that, when this condition happens, the alerting target follows the aircraft in either descent or climb. It did seem to stop the ghost rider when the TCASII was turned to standby, and then on again. The TCASII worked normally from that point on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A CANADAIR REGIONAL JET, CL65, STOPPED DEP CLB AND DSNDED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA. THE TARGET INDICATED JUST ABOVE THE ACFT'S ALT AS FIRST A DSCNT WAS COMPLIED WITH AND THEN A RESUMED CLB. DEP CTLR ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO TARGETS OBSERVED IN THE CAPT'S LOCATION DURING HIS RESPONSE TO THE TCASII RA.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, GEAR UP, FLAPS 8 DEGS, STARTING R TURN TO 280 DEGS. ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH TURN, GOT A TCASII TA SHOWING TFC CLOSE TO US AT 500-400 FT. WE WERE AT ABOUT 5500 FT. I STARTED TO INCREASE CLB RATE AND LOOKED OUT WINDOW FOR TFC. WITHIN 1/2 SECOND, TA BECAME AN RA WITH VOICE, 'DSND, DSND' AND VSI OVERLAY SHOWING MAX RATE DSCNT OF 4000 FPM. THE RED ICON STAYED ON TOP OF THE AIRPLANE, DEPICTING US THROUGH THE DSCNT TO ABOUT 5000 FT. SINCE I HAVE RECEIVED RA'S FOR GHOST ECHOES ON THE TCASII BEFORE, I SUSPECTED THIS WAS THE CASE. THE RED ICON STAYED ON TOP OF US, AND THE TCASII VSI OVERLAY STILL SHOWED MAX RATE DSCNT AS I BEGAN TO CLB AGAIN. THE ALT OF THE GHOST ECHO CLBED AS I CLBED, MATCHING OUR ALTIMETER ALMOST PERFECTLY. THE RA STAYED ON UP TO 11000 FT UNTIL IT WAS TURNED TO STANDBY, THEN ON. IT SEEMED TO OPERATE NORMAL AFTER THAT. DURING THE OCCURRENCE, THE FO NOTIFIED DEP THAT WE WERE DSNDING BECAUSE OF AN RA ON OUR TCASII. THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE NOT SHOWING ANY OTHER TARGET ON RADAR IN OUR VICINITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING CAPT STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THE EXACT MAKE AND MODEL OF THE TCASII INSTALLED ON HIS COMPANY CL65 ACFT, BUT BELIEVED IT TO BE MADE BY COLLINS. HE BELIEVES THAT IT MAY BE COMMON TO ALL CL65 ACFT, SINCE THE SAME TCASII EQUIP IS USED IN THE SIMULATOR WHICH IS OWNED BY ANOTHER OPERATOR. THEREFORE, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ALL CL65 REGIONAL JETS MAY HAVE THE SAME TCASII MAKE AND MODEL. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS SAME GHOST, OR FALSE TARGET CONDITION, SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THIS INCIDENT -- TWICE DURING APCHS TO SLC, ONCE INTO ABQ, AND ONCE ON APCH TO BOI. HE ALSO STATED THAT OTHER PLTS COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROB WITH THE SAME TYPE OF ACFT. HIS COMPANY HAS TCASII INSTALLED ON EMB120 ACFT, AND HAVE HEARD NO COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROB HAPPENING ON THESE ACFT. HE FURTHER REITERATED THAT, WHEN THIS CONDITION HAPPENS, THE ALERTING TARGET FOLLOWS THE ACFT IN EITHER DSCNT OR CLB. IT DID SEEM TO STOP THE GHOST RIDER WHEN THE TCASII WAS TURNED TO STANDBY, AND THEN ON AGAIN. THE TCASII WORKED NORMALLY FROM THAT POINT ON.

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.