Narrative:

On dec/wed/01, I was PIC of a learjet 60. We departed opa locka airport in miami, fl, at XA50 local. Our ATC instruction from the tower was climb runway heading maintain 2000 ft. There was no TA. At 1100 ft the TCASII sounded traffic! Traffic! And commanded a 6000 FPM climb. The target was at 1100 ft and with my outer ring of my traffic display was set to 5 mi (very sensitive) the target, a red square, was practically touching my depicted aircraft on my mfd (multi-function display). I told the first officer, who was PF, 'up, up, up.' the RA then stated 'maintain! Maintain!' meaning don't stop climbing. He immediately pulled back hard, I then stated 1500 ft climbing target at 1100 ft. He began the leveloff to 2000 ft. We blew through the altitude slightly and only momentarily. I saw 2200 ft. I immediately advised miami departure on initial call of our encounter. He did not dispute the existence of the aircraft and advised us that opf tower was 'talking to them.' in subsequent telephone conversations with the opf tower, he stated that the only traffic was myself and a cargo airplane established on a downwind 3 mi from my position. He also told me, that the military had many false RA's when they first started operating at the airport. I am filing an near midair collision report and asking for an investigation. It is important to ascertain: 1) was there an airplane there? If so, was ATC in contact? 2) if there was no airplane, what would cause the erroneous echo resulting in an RA? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that by the time he was able to check with ATC the radar tapes had been erased. None was able to tell him whether another aircraft existed or not. The TCASII was checked by an avionics technician. He was unable to find any problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LR60 CREW HAD TCASII RA IN OPF CLASS D.

Narrative: ON DEC/WED/01, I WAS PIC OF A LEARJET 60. WE DEPARTED OPA LOCKA ARPT IN MIAMI, FL, AT XA50 LCL. OUR ATC INSTRUCTION FROM THE TWR WAS CLB RWY HEADING MAINTAIN 2000 FT. THERE WAS NO TA. AT 1100 FT THE TCASII SOUNDED TFC! TFC! AND COMMANDED A 6000 FPM CLB. THE TARGET WAS AT 1100 FT AND WITH MY OUTER RING OF MY TFC DISPLAY WAS SET TO 5 MI (VERY SENSITIVE) THE TARGET, A RED SQUARE, WAS PRACTICALLY TOUCHING MY DEPICTED ACFT ON MY MFD (MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY). I TOLD THE FO, WHO WAS PF, 'UP, UP, UP.' THE RA THEN STATED 'MAINTAIN! MAINTAIN!' MEANING DON'T STOP CLBING. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED BACK HARD, I THEN STATED 1500 FT CLBING TARGET AT 1100 FT. HE BEGAN THE LEVELOFF TO 2000 FT. WE BLEW THROUGH THE ALT SLIGHTLY AND ONLY MOMENTARILY. I SAW 2200 FT. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED MIAMI DEP ON INITIAL CALL OF OUR ENCOUNTER. HE DID NOT DISPUTE THE EXISTENCE OF THE ACFT AND ADVISED US THAT OPF TWR WAS 'TALKING TO THEM.' IN SUBSEQUENT TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OPF TWR, HE STATED THAT THE ONLY TFC WAS MYSELF AND A CARGO AIRPLANE ESTABLISHED ON A DOWNWIND 3 MI FROM MY POS. HE ALSO TOLD ME, THAT THE MIL HAD MANY FALSE RA'S WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED OPERATING AT THE ARPT. I AM FILING AN NMAC RPT AND ASKING FOR AN INVESTIGATION. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ASCERTAIN: 1) WAS THERE AN AIRPLANE THERE? IF SO, WAS ATC IN CONTACT? 2) IF THERE WAS NO AIRPLANE, WHAT WOULD CAUSE THE ERRONEOUS ECHO RESULTING IN AN RA? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT BY THE TIME HE WAS ABLE TO CHK WITH ATC THE RADAR TAPES HAD BEEN ERASED. NONE WAS ABLE TO TELL HIM WHETHER ANOTHER ACFT EXISTED OR NOT. THE TCASII WAS CHKED BY AN AVIONICS TECHNICIAN. HE WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY PROB.

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.