B757-200 flight crew reacted to a TCAS RA; descending to avoid other aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	742082
Time
Date	200706
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mco.tracon
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4800 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	742082
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	742083
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

During approach we were on a 360 degree heading at 5000 ft. I saw an aircraft on TCAS about 5 mi out flying south. It was company Y 700 ft above us descending. We received a traffic traffic warning then an RA to descend. I told the first officer to inform ATC we were complying with an RA. ATC then told us to climb immediately to 6000 ft. I followed the TCAS and descended about 200 ft. Company Y continued its path then ATC turned them to 270 degree heading. If we had followed the instructions from ATC we would have had a midair. Why did company Y not have an RA? We passed about 200-300 ft below them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FLT CREW REACTED TO A TCAS RA; DESCENDING TO AVOID OTHER ACFT.

Narrative: DURING APCH WE WERE ON A 360 DEG HDG AT 5000 FT. I SAW AN ACFT ON TCAS ABOUT 5 MI OUT FLYING S. IT WAS COMPANY Y 700 FT ABOVE US DSNDING. WE RECEIVED A TFC TFC WARNING THEN AN RA TO DSND. I TOLD THE FO TO INFORM ATC WE WERE COMPLYING WITH AN RA. ATC THEN TOLD US TO CLB IMMEDIATELY TO 6000 FT. I FOLLOWED THE TCAS AND DSNDED ABOUT 200 FT. COMPANY Y CONTINUED ITS PATH THEN ATC TURNED THEM TO 270 DEG HDG. IF WE HAD FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC WE WOULD HAVE HAD A MIDAIR. WHY DID COMPANY Y NOT HAVE AN RA? WE PASSED ABOUT 200-300 FT BELOW THEM.

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.