Altitude excursion by a B737-700 on mco approach when faced by oncoming VFR cessna flying off altitude 100 ft below and less than 3 mi near bitho intersection, fl.

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Attributes
ACN	581054
Time
Date	200305
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : bitho
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco.tracon tower : bur.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : bitho 7
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco.tracon
Make Model Name	Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	581054
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne critical non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar mode c aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Bitho 7 arrival into mco. Instructed to cross bitho at 10000 ft and turn right to 220 degrees after intersection. Got traffic call cessna at 12 O'clock 9500 ft VFR. Some discussion occurred between approach with the cessna about the altitude he was flying compared to what was being recorded by ATC. Passing through 10400 ft TCASII switched to yellow TA. At 10200 ft TCASII alerted to RA with 300 vertical separation. Traffic right on the nose. We were right at the turn point when the RA alerted. Immediately captain, pilot at the controls, initiated a power on climb per TCASII instructions. The turn, coupled with the climb, cleared the alert at approximately 10500 ft. We never had a visual on the cessna, and both of us were attentively looking for it when the TCASII gave us the yellow TA alert. I don't believe the passenger felt the effects of a rather short abrupt climb. TCASII works!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT EXCURSION BY A B737-700 ON MCO APCH WHEN FACED BY ONCOMING VFR CESSNA FLYING OFF ALT 100 FT BELOW AND LESS THAN 3 MI NEAR BITHO INTXN, FL.

Narrative: BITHO 7 ARR INTO MCO. INSTRUCTED TO CROSS BITHO AT 10000 FT AND TURN R TO 220 DEGS AFTER INTXN. GOT TFC CALL CESSNA AT 12 O'CLOCK 9500 FT VFR. SOME DISCUSSION OCCURRED BTWN APCH WITH THE CESSNA ABOUT THE ALT HE WAS FLYING COMPARED TO WHAT WAS BEING RECORDED BY ATC. PASSING THROUGH 10400 FT TCASII SWITCHED TO YELLOW TA. AT 10200 FT TCASII ALERTED TO RA WITH 300 VERT SEPARATION. TFC R ON THE NOSE. WE WERE R AT THE TURN POINT WHEN THE RA ALERTED. IMMEDIATELY CAPT, PLT AT THE CTLS, INITIATED A PWR ON CLB PER TCASII INSTRUCTIONS. THE TURN, COUPLED WITH THE CLB, CLRED THE ALERT AT APPROX 10500 FT. WE NEVER HAD A VISUAL ON THE CESSNA, AND BOTH OF US WERE ATTENTIVELY LOOKING FOR IT WHEN THE TCASII GAVE US THE YELLOW TA ALERT. I DON'T BELIEVE THE PAX FELT THE EFFECTS OF A RATHER SHORT ABRUPT CLB. TCASII WORKS!

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.