Narrative:

This was my first trip as a B757 captain. Turning to the northwest and descending below 7000 ft for 4000 ft, for the ILS runway 26L, approach control advised us of traffic at 1 O'clock position, sebound at 5500 ft. We had no visual contact, but did have the traffic on TCASII. Shortly thereafter, approach told us the traffic was converging, to level at 6000 ft and turn left to the southwest. I do not remember the exact heading. In the turn, we got a TCASII RA to climb. Most of the lights on the vertical velocity indicator were red, with just a small green section left. The autoplt and autothrottles were either previously disconnected or I disconnected them as soon as the RA occurred. I pushed the power in and pulled the nose back more than I normally would. We climbed about 400 ft and told approach we were responding to an RA. At no time did we ever see the other airplane visually. The haze hampered our efforts to acquire visual contact. We landed uneventfully and I made a PA to our passenger upon gate arrival. Both the controller and TCASII deserve credit for avoiding a midair collision. But what if controller workload did not permit a traffic call and our TCASII was inoperative? Southern california is a hotbed for GA and the birthplace of TCASII due to a collision disaster. I will not accept an inoperative TCASII to ont, lax, bur, sna and lgb. I feel the MEL should be changed to require TCASII at least at these airports, if not others as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 PF, NEW TO BEING A CAPT, WAS CONCERNED THAT HE MAY HAVE OVERREACTED TO AN RA IN SCT'S AIRSPACE, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO PONDER IF THE TCASII SHOULD EVER BE ALLOWED TO BE MEL'ED BY HIS COMPANY.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP AS A B757 CAPT. TURNING TO THE NW AND DSNDING BELOW 7000 FT FOR 4000 FT, FOR THE ILS RWY 26L, APCH CTL ADVISED US OF TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK POS, SEBOUND AT 5500 FT. WE HAD NO VISUAL CONTACT, BUT DID HAVE THE TFC ON TCASII. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, APCH TOLD US THE TFC WAS CONVERGING, TO LEVEL AT 6000 FT AND TURN L TO THE SW. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE EXACT HDG. IN THE TURN, WE GOT A TCASII RA TO CLB. MOST OF THE LIGHTS ON THE VERT VELOCITY INDICATOR WERE RED, WITH JUST A SMALL GREEN SECTION LEFT. THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES WERE EITHER PREVIOUSLY DISCONNECTED OR I DISCONNECTED THEM AS SOON AS THE RA OCCURRED. I PUSHED THE PWR IN AND PULLED THE NOSE BACK MORE THAN I NORMALLY WOULD. WE CLBED ABOUT 400 FT AND TOLD APCH WE WERE RESPONDING TO AN RA. AT NO TIME DID WE EVER SEE THE OTHER AIRPLANE VISUALLY. THE HAZE HAMPERED OUR EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE VISUAL CONTACT. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND I MADE A PA TO OUR PAX UPON GATE ARR. BOTH THE CTLR AND TCASII DESERVE CREDIT FOR AVOIDING A MIDAIR COLLISION. BUT WHAT IF CTLR WORKLOAD DID NOT PERMIT A TFC CALL AND OUR TCASII WAS INOP? SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IS A HOTBED FOR GA AND THE BIRTHPLACE OF TCASII DUE TO A COLLISION DISASTER. I WILL NOT ACCEPT AN INOP TCASII TO ONT, LAX, BUR, SNA AND LGB. I FEEL THE MEL SHOULD BE CHANGED TO REQUIRE TCASII AT LEAST AT THESE ARPTS, IF NOT OTHERS AS WELL.

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.