Narrative:

Departure was fully briefed assigned altitude was 1500 meters (5100 ft set in altitude window). ICAO takeoff used. First officer flying the leg. Captain called out 4100 ft for 5100 ft. Had just finished cleaning up aircraft after ICAO takeoff when TCASII went off with an RA warning. The first thing I did was check the attitude indicator to insure compliance with the RA. First officer was following the guidance to reduce climb, then tried to determine what was going on. Traffic on TCASII showed at 6000 ft. Our altitude reached 5320 ft. Immediately returned to 5100 ft and departure control wanted to know why we had exceeded altitude. Unable to answer other than a 'mistake'. We do not remember any warning on TCASII prior to RA and believe first officer was following flight director for proper leveloff at 5100 ft when the RA occurred. In following the RA and placing the flight director just under the red bars allowed us to become momentarily distraction and take the altimeter out of our scan. Unable to be sure, but thought RA came just before 5100 ft leveloff. In meters altimetry 1500 meters is 5030 ft but necessitates setting window at 5100 ft -- already 70 ft high. It may have been we just screwed up but don't know how. Controller said we showed maximum of 1600 M. Workload and language problems can cause a distraction but believe following RA aggravated problem. Which came first -- chicken or the egg?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 CREW HAD A TCASII RA DEPARTING ZBAA AT 1500 METERS. THE CTLR QUESTIONED THE CREW FOR FOLLOWING TCASII RA GUIDANCE. THERE IS NO VFR TFC IN CHINA, ONLY MIL AND ACR.

Narrative: DEP WAS FULLY BRIEFED ASSIGNED ALT WAS 1500 METERS (5100 FT SET IN ALT WINDOW). ICAO TKOF USED. FO FLYING THE LEG. CAPT CALLED OUT 4100 FT FOR 5100 FT. HAD JUST FINISHED CLEANING UP ACFT AFTER ICAO TKOF WHEN TCASII WENT OFF WITH AN RA WARNING. THE FIRST THING I DID WAS CHK THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR TO INSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE RA. FO WAS FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE TO REDUCE CLB, THEN TRIED TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS GOING ON. TFC ON TCASII SHOWED AT 6000 FT. OUR ALT REACHED 5320 FT. IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO 5100 FT AND DEP CTL WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE HAD EXCEEDED ALT. UNABLE TO ANSWER OTHER THAN A 'MISTAKE'. WE DO NOT REMEMBER ANY WARNING ON TCASII PRIOR TO RA AND BELIEVE FO WAS FOLLOWING FLT DIRECTOR FOR PROPER LEVELOFF AT 5100 FT WHEN THE RA OCCURRED. IN FOLLOWING THE RA AND PLACING THE FLT DIRECTOR JUST UNDER THE RED BARS ALLOWED US TO BECOME MOMENTARILY DISTR AND TAKE THE ALTIMETER OUT OF OUR SCAN. UNABLE TO BE SURE, BUT THOUGHT RA CAME JUST BEFORE 5100 FT LEVELOFF. IN METERS ALTIMETRY 1500 METERS IS 5030 FT BUT NECESSITATES SETTING WINDOW AT 5100 FT -- ALREADY 70 FT HIGH. IT MAY HAVE BEEN WE JUST SCREWED UP BUT DON'T KNOW HOW. CTLR SAID WE SHOWED MAX OF 1600 M. WORKLOAD AND LANGUAGE PROBS CAN CAUSE A DISTR BUT BELIEVE FOLLOWING RA AGGRAVATED PROB. WHICH CAME FIRST -- CHICKEN OR THE EGG?

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.