Narrative:

I would like to inform you that on my flight on the route managua-miami I had to execute a TCASII RA while on control of miami approach. The traffic at the airport was very heavy. The miami approach frequency was also congested with many traffic coming into miami airport at the same time. Several times the ATC instructions were blocked. Coming from tadpo intersection, we were told by miami ATC to fly direct to wever intersection. Since the WX on the arrival was full of thunderstorms we were vectored around them and also for sequencing for the approach to the ILS runway 9R. We were cleared to descend to 10000 ft. We were at 10000 ft and we stayed as instructed on the assigned speed, heading, and altitude. This heading took us against the wind to runway 9R on a left traffic pattern. We were told that this vector was for sequencing. Once we were abeam the airport we were given a left heading that took us to the north of the airport. It is on this north heading vector that we at 10000 ft detected a TA on the TCASII. This traffic (either an airbus 300 or a B767) was coming at our 2 O'clock position at the same altitude (10000 ft), at about 6 mi away and it was clear that we were on a converging colliding path. We reported to miami ATC that we had the TA at the same altitude on the TCASII. The jet also reported to ZMA that he had a traffic on the TCASII at the same altitude, but ZMA responded to the jet that the traffic was not a factor because it was in the process of descending. Since I knew that we were never told to descend to any altitude (we were given only heading, speed, and altitude 10000 ft) I proceeded to execute a climb out of the danger area. As I was on the initial climb I got the TCASII RA to climb. I reported to ZMA that I was executing a TCASII RA command. Once out of the danger area I went back to my assigned altitude, 10000 ft, as well as heading and speed. We were vectored around on a left downwind leg and finally landed normally on runway 9R. It was obvious that when we detected the traffic at the same altitude coming in a converging path towards us something was not right. Since we never received a clear instruction to descend to a lower altitude we knew then that we had to get out of the danger zone. Contributing factors: many aircraft arriving at the same time. Many aircraft trying to communicate at the same time. Blocking of ATC instructions by other aircraft that are trying to communicate with ATC. Too many aircraft for miami approach controller to handle at the same time. WX around the traffic pattern. My perception was that since the traffic was so heavy and since ATC told me that the vectors were for sequencing for the approach, that it was reasonable to be flying around the airport at 10000 ft. My judgement told me that it was not ok for 2 aircraft to be flying at the same altitude and in a converging path. My decision as a PIC was to take the necessary actions to get myself out of the danger area. The action taken was a corrective one. I began to climb out of the danger area and then the TCASII began to give me RA's. Once clear of the traffic I descended back to my original altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLYING NEAR MIA RPTS HVY TFC AND CONGESTED COM FREQ RESULTING IN A TCASII RA.

Narrative: I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT ON MY FLT ON THE RTE MANAGUA-MIAMI I HAD TO EXECUTE A TCASII RA WHILE ON CTL OF MIAMI APCH. THE TFC AT THE ARPT WAS VERY HVY. THE MIAMI APCH FREQ WAS ALSO CONGESTED WITH MANY TFC COMING INTO MIAMI ARPT AT THE SAME TIME. SEVERAL TIMES THE ATC INSTRUCTIONS WERE BLOCKED. COMING FROM TADPO INTXN, WE WERE TOLD BY MIAMI ATC TO FLY DIRECT TO WEVER INTXN. SINCE THE WX ON THE ARR WAS FULL OF TSTMS WE WERE VECTORED AROUND THEM AND ALSO FOR SEQUENCING FOR THE APCH TO THE ILS RWY 9R. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 10000 FT. WE WERE AT 10000 FT AND WE STAYED AS INSTRUCTED ON THE ASSIGNED SPD, HEADING, AND ALT. THIS HEADING TOOK US AGAINST THE WIND TO RWY 9R ON A L TFC PATTERN. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS VECTOR WAS FOR SEQUENCING. ONCE WE WERE ABEAM THE ARPT WE WERE GIVEN A L HEADING THAT TOOK US TO THE N OF THE ARPT. IT IS ON THIS N HEADING VECTOR THAT WE AT 10000 FT DETECTED A TA ON THE TCASII. THIS TFC (EITHER AN AIRBUS 300 OR A B767) WAS COMING AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS AT THE SAME ALT (10000 FT), AT ABOUT 6 MI AWAY AND IT WAS CLR THAT WE WERE ON A CONVERGING COLLIDING PATH. WE RPTED TO MIAMI ATC THAT WE HAD THE TA AT THE SAME ALT ON THE TCASII. THE JET ALSO RPTED TO ZMA THAT HE HAD A TFC ON THE TCASII AT THE SAME ALT, BUT ZMA RESPONDED TO THE JET THAT THE TFC WAS NOT A FACTOR BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DSNDING. SINCE I KNEW THAT WE WERE NEVER TOLD TO DSND TO ANY ALT (WE WERE GIVEN ONLY HEADING, SPD, AND ALT 10000 FT) I PROCEEDED TO EXECUTE A CLB OUT OF THE DANGER AREA. AS I WAS ON THE INITIAL CLB I GOT THE TCASII RA TO CLB. I RPTED TO ZMA THAT I WAS EXECUTING A TCASII RA COMMAND. ONCE OUT OF THE DANGER AREA I WENT BACK TO MY ASSIGNED ALT, 10000 FT, AS WELL AS HEADING AND SPD. WE WERE VECTORED AROUND ON A L DOWNWIND LEG AND FINALLY LANDED NORMALLY ON RWY 9R. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT WHEN WE DETECTED THE TFC AT THE SAME ALT COMING IN A CONVERGING PATH TOWARDS US SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. SINCE WE NEVER RECEIVED A CLR INSTRUCTION TO DSND TO A LOWER ALT WE KNEW THEN THAT WE HAD TO GET OUT OF THE DANGER ZONE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MANY ACFT ARRIVING AT THE SAME TIME. MANY ACFT TRYING TO COMMUNICATE AT THE SAME TIME. BLOCKING OF ATC INSTRUCTIONS BY OTHER ACFT THAT ARE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC. TOO MANY ACFT FOR MIAMI APCH CTLR TO HANDLE AT THE SAME TIME. WX AROUND THE TFC PATTERN. MY PERCEPTION WAS THAT SINCE THE TFC WAS SO HVY AND SINCE ATC TOLD ME THAT THE VECTORS WERE FOR SEQUENCING FOR THE APCH, THAT IT WAS REASONABLE TO BE FLYING AROUND THE ARPT AT 10000 FT. MY JUDGEMENT TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT OK FOR 2 ACFT TO BE FLYING AT THE SAME ALT AND IN A CONVERGING PATH. MY DECISION AS A PIC WAS TO TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO GET MYSELF OUT OF THE DANGER AREA. THE ACTION TAKEN WAS A CORRECTIVE ONE. I BEGAN TO CLB OUT OF THE DANGER AREA AND THEN THE TCASII BEGAN TO GIVE ME RA'S. ONCE CLR OF THE TFC I DSNDED BACK TO MY ORIGINAL ALT.

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.