TCASII prevents an near midair collision in lga class B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	478893
Time
Date	200007
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : yoman
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-82
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Route In Use	departure : vfr
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 105 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 105
ASRS Report	478893
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	478973
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other other : pax-6
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The captain was the PF as we were being vectored for the ILS runway 22 at lga. We were given a final intercept heading and told to maintain 3000 ft. In the turn, I was scanning for traffic. After becoming established on the intercept heading, we received an RA for an immediate climb. I looked at the TCASII and saw a traffic symbol at -100 ft. To comply with the RA, the captain initiated a pull-up of approximately 2500 FPM (while asking for 'maximum power'). We had no visual contact with the aircraft. At this time, the captain also heard a clearance from approach control to climb to 4000 ft. I made 1 attempt to call them about our actions with no reply. I was delayed in a follow-up call due to scanning for traffic and flight path monitoring duties. I then looked up and at our 12 O'clock position saw jet traffic moving right to left about 1000 ft above us and now diverging. Once we visually verified there was no conflict with this traffic, and in order to comply with our previous instruction of localizer intercept, and to remain clear of unknown airspace ahead, the captain initiated a turn of approximately 15 degrees behind the jet traffic. Once level at 4000 ft, the captain called for 'autoplt on' and I again called approach control with no response due to frequency congestion. After a second attempt to contact ATC, we were instructed to turn right heading 360 degrees and maintain 4000 ft. The captain then initiated a right turn (30 degree bank) to the new heading, at which point we were given a frequency change to another controller. He then gave us vectors back around for another ILS approach, which proceeded without incident. We surmised that the traffic from below could have been a VFR aircraft in a climb planning to level off under the overlying airspace. The floor of class B airspace in the area varies from 1500 ft to 3000 ft. It would seem to me to be necessary to lower this airspace in the area of the extended centerline of runway 22, as this obviously is a very serious threat to airline safety. According to a flight attendant spoken to after the flight who was in the rear of the aircraft during the incident, several passenger saw a 'light plane' in close proximity just below and behind our right wing after we had initiated the pull-up. The TCASII was an excellent tool in helping us avoid a potentially deadly situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII PREVENTS AN NMAC IN LGA CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS THE PF AS WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS RWY 22 AT LGA. WE WERE GIVEN A FINAL INTERCEPT HDG AND TOLD TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT. IN THE TURN, I WAS SCANNING FOR TFC. AFTER BECOMING ESTABLISHED ON THE INTERCEPT HDG, WE RECEIVED AN RA FOR AN IMMEDIATE CLB. I LOOKED AT THE TCASII AND SAW A TFC SYMBOL AT -100 FT. TO COMPLY WITH THE RA, THE CAPT INITIATED A PULL-UP OF APPROX 2500 FPM (WHILE ASKING FOR 'MAX PWR'). WE HAD NO VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ACFT. AT THIS TIME, THE CAPT ALSO HEARD A CLRNC FROM APCH CTL TO CLB TO 4000 FT. I MADE 1 ATTEMPT TO CALL THEM ABOUT OUR ACTIONS WITH NO REPLY. I WAS DELAYED IN A FOLLOW-UP CALL DUE TO SCANNING FOR TFC AND FLT PATH MONITORING DUTIES. I THEN LOOKED UP AND AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS SAW JET TFC MOVING R TO L ABOUT 1000 FT ABOVE US AND NOW DIVERGING. ONCE WE VISUALLY VERIFIED THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH THIS TFC, AND IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH OUR PREVIOUS INSTRUCTION OF LOC INTERCEPT, AND TO REMAIN CLR OF UNKNOWN AIRSPACE AHEAD, THE CAPT INITIATED A TURN OF APPROX 15 DEGS BEHIND THE JET TFC. ONCE LEVEL AT 4000 FT, THE CAPT CALLED FOR 'AUTOPLT ON' AND I AGAIN CALLED APCH CTL WITH NO RESPONSE DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. AFTER A SECOND ATTEMPT TO CONTACT ATC, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN R HDG 360 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. THE CAPT THEN INITIATED A R TURN (30 DEG BANK) TO THE NEW HDG, AT WHICH POINT WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO ANOTHER CTLR. HE THEN GAVE US VECTORS BACK AROUND FOR ANOTHER ILS APCH, WHICH PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE SURMISED THAT THE TFC FROM BELOW COULD HAVE BEEN A VFR ACFT IN A CLB PLANNING TO LEVEL OFF UNDER THE OVERLYING AIRSPACE. THE FLOOR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE IN THE AREA VARIES FROM 1500 FT TO 3000 FT. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME TO BE NECESSARY TO LOWER THIS AIRSPACE IN THE AREA OF THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 22, AS THIS OBVIOUSLY IS A VERY SERIOUS THREAT TO AIRLINE SAFETY. ACCORDING TO A FLT ATTENDANT SPOKEN TO AFTER THE FLT WHO WAS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT DURING THE INCIDENT, SEVERAL PAX SAW A 'LIGHT PLANE' IN CLOSE PROX JUST BELOW AND BEHIND OUR R WING AFTER WE HAD INITIATED THE PULL-UP. THE TCASII WAS AN EXCELLENT TOOL IN HELPING US AVOID A POTENTIALLY DEADLY SIT.

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.