D328 on final approach to runway 29 receives TCAS RA for helicopter crossing their approach path.

Attributes
ACN	748746
Time
Date	200708
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atw.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl single value : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Do 328 TP (Turboprop)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : atw.tower
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	748746
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We were cleared for the visual approach into runway 29 in atw. Tower asked us if we saw a helicopter north of the airport that was moving ese. I told him I didn't have the traffic. The helicopter stated that he had us in sight. We were fully configured for landing and tower asked me again if I had the traffic in sight. At this time I could see the lights from the helicopter moving across the lights of the city. I called the traffic. It appeared the traffic was moving eastbound which would have not been a factor. We then realized the traffic was headed towards us. Shortly thereafter we received an RA to climb. We climbed and told tower that we had received an RA and that we were going around. He then cleared us to land on runway 21. Don't allow ATC and tower to clear us for an approach and to land if there is traffic that is going to cause a conflict.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D328 ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 29 RECEIVES TCAS RA FOR HELICOPTER CROSSING THEIR APCH PATH.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH INTO RWY 29 IN ATW. TWR ASKED US IF WE SAW A HELI N OF THE ARPT THAT WAS MOVING ESE. I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T HAVE THE TFC. THE HELI STATED THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT. WE WERE FULLY CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND TWR ASKED ME AGAIN IF I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. AT THIS TIME I COULD SEE THE LIGHTS FROM THE HELI MOVING ACROSS THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY. I CALLED THE TFC. IT APPEARED THE TFC WAS MOVING EBOUND WHICH WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN A FACTOR. WE THEN REALIZED THE TFC WAS HEADED TOWARDS US. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE RECEIVED AN RA TO CLB. WE CLBED AND TOLD TWR THAT WE HAD RECEIVED AN RA AND THAT WE WERE GOING AROUND. HE THEN CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 21. DON'T ALLOW ATC AND TWR TO CLR US FOR AN APCH AND TO LAND IF THERE IS TFC THAT IS GOING TO CAUSE A CONFLICT.

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.