<< >> NASA ASRS Report 664253, June 2005

B757 flight crew with Y90 experienced TCASII RA event with VFR formation flight that was issued as traffic to the reporter.

Attributes
ACN	664253
Time
Date	200506
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mad.vor
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl single value : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : y90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : dpk
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2600
ASRS Report	664253
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure FAA ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Inbound mad VOR on dpk 2 arrival for windsor locks. We were level at 11000 ft MSL with TCASII indicating 2 targets west at 11500 ft. Approach control notified us of the traffic and in less than 40 seconds we got an RA to climb. Captain started immediate climb and approximately 5 seconds into climb; we got RA to descend and did so. I saw one of the 2 formation planes off right side passing above and behind us. RA caused us to descend abruptly and below assigned altitude of 11000 ft MSL. Controller issued 8000 ft as new altitude. Formation should not have descended into our altitude without clearing airspace. Approach said they would track/follow formation to identify. ATC should have vectored us away prior to our closure if they did not have radio contact. This formation interfered with another wbound commercial carrier on the radio right after our RA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW WITH Y90 EXPERIENCED TCASII RA EVENT WITH VFR FORMATION FLT THAT WAS ISSUED AS TFC TO THE RPTR.

Narrative: INBOUND MAD VOR ON DPK 2 ARR FOR WINDSOR LOCKS. WE WERE LEVEL AT 11000 FT MSL WITH TCASII INDICATING 2 TARGETS W AT 11500 FT. APCH CTL NOTIFIED US OF THE TFC AND IN LESS THAN 40 SECONDS WE GOT AN RA TO CLB. CAPT STARTED IMMEDIATE CLB AND APPROX 5 SECONDS INTO CLB; WE GOT RA TO DSND AND DID SO. I SAW ONE OF THE 2 FORMATION PLANES OFF R SIDE PASSING ABOVE AND BEHIND US. RA CAUSED US TO DSND ABRUPTLY AND BELOW ASSIGNED ALT OF 11000 FT MSL. CTLR ISSUED 8000 FT AS NEW ALT. FORMATION SHOULD NOT HAVE DSNDED INTO OUR ALT WITHOUT CLRING AIRSPACE. APCH SAID THEY WOULD TRACK/FOLLOW FORMATION TO IDENT. ATC SHOULD HAVE VECTORED US AWAY PRIOR TO OUR CLOSURE IF THEY DID NOT HAVE RADIO CONTACT. THIS FORMATION INTERFERED WITH ANOTHER WBOUND COMMERCIAL CARRIER ON THE RADIO RIGHT AFTER OUR RA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.