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MD80 flight crew responds to TCASII RA while complying with descent clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 443030 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199907 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : cwk.vortac |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 18000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Route In Use | arrival star : blewe one |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Citation Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 443030 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
While flying blewe one arrival, we were given a clearance to descend from FL220 to 14000 ft by ZHU. With the clearance we were issued a TA of a VFR citation, 17500 ft, northbound at 11 O'clock position. We started the descent and did not pick the traffic up on TCASII until we went to the 10 mi scale. As we converged on the traffic, we could see that the citation was coming right at us and about the time we got a TA, I commenced a shallow left turn off of the arrival radial and shallowed out my descent. We then got an RA and I followed the command to climb at 2200 FPM. The first officer told center that we were climbing to an RA. We did not see the traffic until after the RA as he passed off to our right within 200-400 ft and within a mi or so laterally. It is my feeling that controller should have issued a traffic alert, a stop descent or a turn, long before we got the RA. If we had not turned or climbed to the RA, there would have been at least, a near miss. It is my recollection that controller issued only the initial advisory. This could have turned into a very serious situation. He should have kept us clear of the oncoming traffic. A phone call to ZHU to inquire about RA followed with no positive results as to why it happened.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD80 FLC RESPONDS TO TCASII RA WHILE COMPLYING WITH DSCNT CLRNC.
Narrative: WHILE FLYING BLEWE ONE ARR, WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND FROM FL220 TO 14000 FT BY ZHU. WITH THE CLRNC WE WERE ISSUED A TA OF A VFR CITATION, 17500 FT, NBOUND AT 11 O'CLOCK POS. WE STARTED THE DSCNT AND DID NOT PICK THE TFC UP ON TCASII UNTIL WE WENT TO THE 10 MI SCALE. AS WE CONVERGED ON THE TFC, WE COULD SEE THAT THE CITATION WAS COMING RIGHT AT US AND ABOUT THE TIME WE GOT A TA, I COMMENCED A SHALLOW L TURN OFF OF THE ARR RADIAL AND SHALLOWED OUT MY DSCNT. WE THEN GOT AN RA AND I FOLLOWED THE COMMAND TO CLB AT 2200 FPM. THE FO TOLD CTR THAT WE WERE CLBING TO AN RA. WE DID NOT SEE THE TFC UNTIL AFTER THE RA AS HE PASSED OFF TO OUR R WITHIN 200-400 FT AND WITHIN A MI OR SO LATERALLY. IT IS MY FEELING THAT CTLR SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A TFC ALERT, A STOP DSCNT OR A TURN, LONG BEFORE WE GOT THE RA. IF WE HAD NOT TURNED OR CLBED TO THE RA, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST, A NEAR MISS. IT IS MY RECOLLECTION THAT CTLR ISSUED ONLY THE INITIAL ADVISORY. THIS COULD HAVE TURNED INTO A VERY SERIOUS SIT. HE SHOULD HAVE KEPT US CLR OF THE ONCOMING TFC. A PHONE CALL TO ZHU TO INQUIRE ABOUT RA FOLLOWED WITH NO POSITIVE RESULTS AS TO WHY IT HAPPENED.
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.