Near midair collision at 1000 ft between an A320 on a night VOR approach and a VFR helicopter.

Attributes
ACN	562673
Time
Date	200302
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : sjc.vor
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sjc.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : sjc.tower
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	562673
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On VOR approach to runway 30R at sjc at about 1500 ft, tower advised of VFR helicopter traffic with us in sight and maintaining visual separation. Just above 1000 ft we got a TCASII RA to climb. I saw a TCASII traffic symbol 100 ft below us, as I began a climb, though the aural warning and vsi guidance disappeared almost immediately perhaps because we had gone below 1000 ft (inhibited). My estimate of the miss distance is based on the TCASII display. We had no visual, because of the short time and lots of city lights in the background. Tower should keep VFR traffic clear of altitudes where approaching aircraft will be. Putting the responsibility on a slow-moving aircraft at night is a cop-out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC AT 1000 FT BTWN AN A320 ON A NIGHT VOR APCH AND A VFR HELI.

Narrative: ON VOR APCH TO RWY 30R AT SJC AT ABOUT 1500 FT, TWR ADVISED OF VFR HELI TFC WITH US IN SIGHT AND MAINTAINING VISUAL SEPARATION. JUST ABOVE 1000 FT WE GOT A TCASII RA TO CLB. I SAW A TCASII TFC SYMBOL 100 FT BELOW US, AS I BEGAN A CLB, THOUGH THE AURAL WARNING AND VSI GUIDANCE DISAPPEARED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY PERHAPS BECAUSE WE HAD GONE BELOW 1000 FT (INHIBITED). MY ESTIMATE OF THE MISS DISTANCE IS BASED ON THE TCASII DISPLAY. WE HAD NO VISUAL, BECAUSE OF THE SHORT TIME AND LOTS OF CITY LIGHTS IN THE BACKGROUND. TWR SHOULD KEEP VFR TFC CLR OF ALTS WHERE APCHING ACFT WILL BE. PUTTING THE RESPONSIBILITY ON A SLOW-MOVING ACFT AT NIGHT IS A COP-OUT.

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.