B737 departure from fll experienced TCASII RA while ATC is confused with aircraft location.

Attributes
ACN	606401
Time
Date	200401
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon tower : fll.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	606401
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	606048
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1500 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Fll cleared us for takeoff and fly runway heading (active runway 27R) heading 276 degrees. Per clrncs instruction, we leveled at 3000 ft MSL. While listening for tower to switch us to departure, I heard tower clear us onto the runway, position and hold. I did not respond because I thought he was mistaken since we were already at 3000 ft MSL. He then said he had no response from air carrier X. At this time I asked tower if I should switch to departure, and he responded 'where are you?' I told him we were at 3000 ft on runway heading. He said he did not have me on radar, so I cycled the transponder. He then saw me and switched me to departure. I tried calling departure 3 times with no response. While all this was going on, we had to initiate, twice, a climb because of RA's on the TCASII. We climbed a total of 1000 ft. The captain then called departure and got a response. Departure cleared us to turn to a heading of 350 degrees to intercept the thunder transition fll 9 departure. We informed departure we, twice, had to climb to miss traffic. He said he could not see us with all the other clutter and later apologized. It appears fll tower 'lost us.' they were trying to clear us for takeoff when we had already taken off per their previous clearance. I don't think they coordinated a handoff to departure either. TCASII twice prevented a potential disaster. I'm not sure why tower was confused.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 DEP FROM FLL EXPERIENCED TCASII RA WHILE ATC IS CONFUSED WITH ACFT LOCATION.

Narrative: FLL CLRED US FOR TKOF AND FLY RWY HDG (ACTIVE RWY 27R) HDG 276 DEGS. PER CLRNCS INSTRUCTION, WE LEVELED AT 3000 FT MSL. WHILE LISTENING FOR TWR TO SWITCH US TO DEP, I HEARD TWR CLR US ONTO THE RWY, POS AND HOLD. I DID NOT RESPOND BECAUSE I THOUGHT HE WAS MISTAKEN SINCE WE WERE ALREADY AT 3000 FT MSL. HE THEN SAID HE HAD NO RESPONSE FROM ACR X. AT THIS TIME I ASKED TWR IF I SHOULD SWITCH TO DEP, AND HE RESPONDED 'WHERE ARE YOU?' I TOLD HIM WE WERE AT 3000 FT ON RWY HDG. HE SAID HE DID NOT HAVE ME ON RADAR, SO I CYCLED THE XPONDER. HE THEN SAW ME AND SWITCHED ME TO DEP. I TRIED CALLING DEP 3 TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON, WE HAD TO INITIATE, TWICE, A CLB BECAUSE OF RA'S ON THE TCASII. WE CLBED A TOTAL OF 1000 FT. THE CAPT THEN CALLED DEP AND GOT A RESPONSE. DEP CLRED US TO TURN TO A HDG OF 350 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE THUNDER TRANSITION FLL 9 DEP. WE INFORMED DEP WE, TWICE, HAD TO CLB TO MISS TFC. HE SAID HE COULD NOT SEE US WITH ALL THE OTHER CLUTTER AND LATER APOLOGIZED. IT APPEARS FLL TWR 'LOST US.' THEY WERE TRYING TO CLR US FOR TKOF WHEN WE HAD ALREADY TAKEN OFF PER THEIR PREVIOUS CLRNC. I DON'T THINK THEY COORDINATED A HDOF TO DEP EITHER. TCASII TWICE PREVENTED A POTENTIAL DISASTER. I'M NOT SURE WHY TWR WAS CONFUSED.

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.