Narrative:

We were with departure control just after takeoff on radar vectors. Our instructions were to maintain 7000 ft on a heading (which I don't exactly recall -- it was roughly west). We were told of VFR traffic at our 1 O'clock position; 7500 ft. This means that the traffic was only 500 ft above us. I was PNF and stated 'we see it on our TCAS; looking for traffic.' at that moment the TCAS started blinking red and stated 'monitor vertical speed.' the vsi turned red and depicted the target. My first officer took the red vsi indication to mean that she should climb in order to avoid the conflict. We never received a verbal cue to climb or descend; nor did we see any vertical speed 'doughnut' on the screen to aim towards. Unfortunately; due to the first officer's action; we climbed through our assigned altitude of 7000 ft and she leveled off around 7700 ft. I was monitoring the vsi; as well as the traffic outside; which I visually was able to make contact with. I immediately told ATC that we were responding to a TA. ATC stated that by our action we actually came closer to the traffic; though he did not seem overly worried. Everything happened extremely quickly and in retrospect; I should have taken the controls and pushed the nose over to be able to maintain our 7000 ft. I was a bit confused by the entire episode due to how quickly the first officer responded to the red indication on the screen (and the ensuing climb that she initiated). I was; however; able to maintain visual contact with the traffic and was sure that we were never in danger. I immediately told ATC and; like I mentioned earlier; they seemed satisfied that we were responding to the TCAS accordingly. My first officer and I pulled out our system manual for the crj and looked up the different possible indications of the TCAS system and reviewed what had just transpired. We decided that we had both incorrectly interpreted the red 'above' target on the vsi and responded improperly. We further reviewed the procedures; agreeing that a person should fly 'away' from the red vsi indication; if instructed via RA. However; in our case; we simply should have maintained our current assigned altitude of 7000 ft and monitored; as instructed by the TCAS voice. I did not take the controls; although I probably should have; because I had the aircraft in sight. I knew we went through our assigned altitude though at the moment we did it I wasn't sure that we were in fact responding improperly. As previously stated; I immediately informed ATC. It was a lesson learned for both of us. Supplemental information from acn 785752: we first received a TCAS TA stating 'traffic; traffic' and an icon showing a target at +500 ft. Within the next couple of seconds; the upper portion of the vsi turned red and the target turned red. But there was no voice stating to climb or descend and no donut showing a climb or descent rate. As I was looking and expecting to see the donut; I began to climb. We reported the RA to ATC. In the next second; the red indication went away and I immediately descended back to the assigned altitude of 7000 ft from about 7400 ft. ATC asked us what our assigned altitude was; and we reported 7000 ft but that we had responded to our RA. ATC said the response was unusual because the traffic was above us. We agreed. We were not asked to submit a report. Afterwards; we looked up the TCAS indications in our manual. We believed that we should have received an aural indicating whether to climb or descend and a donut showing the climb or descent rate. After reviewing the manual; I realized I should have flown away from the red that filled the upper portion of the vsi or remained level.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 FLT CREW REPORTS RESPONDING INCORRECTLY TO TCAS RA FOR VFR TRAFFIC 500 FEET ABOVE BY CLIMBING.

Narrative: WE WERE WITH DEP CTL JUST AFTER TKOF ON RADAR VECTORS. OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO MAINTAIN 7000 FT ON A HDG (WHICH I DON'T EXACTLY RECALL -- IT WAS ROUGHLY W). WE WERE TOLD OF VFR TFC AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS; 7500 FT. THIS MEANS THAT THE TFC WAS ONLY 500 FT ABOVE US. I WAS PNF AND STATED 'WE SEE IT ON OUR TCAS; LOOKING FOR TFC.' AT THAT MOMENT THE TCAS STARTED BLINKING RED AND STATED 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' THE VSI TURNED RED AND DEPICTED THE TARGET. MY FO TOOK THE RED VSI INDICATION TO MEAN THAT SHE SHOULD CLB IN ORDER TO AVOID THE CONFLICT. WE NEVER RECEIVED A VERBAL CUE TO CLB OR DSND; NOR DID WE SEE ANY VERT SPD 'DOUGHNUT' ON THE SCREEN TO AIM TOWARDS. UNFORTUNATELY; DUE TO THE FO'S ACTION; WE CLBED THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT AND SHE LEVELED OFF AROUND 7700 FT. I WAS MONITORING THE VSI; AS WELL AS THE TFC OUTSIDE; WHICH I VISUALLY WAS ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD ATC THAT WE WERE RESPONDING TO A TA. ATC STATED THAT BY OUR ACTION WE ACTUALLY CAME CLOSER TO THE TFC; THOUGH HE DID NOT SEEM OVERLY WORRIED. EVERYTHING HAPPENED EXTREMELY QUICKLY AND IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CTLS AND PUSHED THE NOSE OVER TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR 7000 FT. I WAS A BIT CONFUSED BY THE ENTIRE EPISODE DUE TO HOW QUICKLY THE FO RESPONDED TO THE RED INDICATION ON THE SCREEN (AND THE ENSUING CLB THAT SHE INITIATED). I WAS; HOWEVER; ABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC AND WAS SURE THAT WE WERE NEVER IN DANGER. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD ATC AND; LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER; THEY SEEMED SATISFIED THAT WE WERE RESPONDING TO THE TCAS ACCORDINGLY. MY FO AND I PULLED OUT OUR SYS MANUAL FOR THE CRJ AND LOOKED UP THE DIFFERENT POSSIBLE INDICATIONS OF THE TCAS SYS AND REVIEWED WHAT HAD JUST TRANSPIRED. WE DECIDED THAT WE HAD BOTH INCORRECTLY INTERPED THE RED 'ABOVE' TARGET ON THE VSI AND RESPONDED IMPROPERLY. WE FURTHER REVIEWED THE PROCS; AGREEING THAT A PERSON SHOULD FLY 'AWAY' FROM THE RED VSI INDICATION; IF INSTRUCTED VIA RA. HOWEVER; IN OUR CASE; WE SIMPLY SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED OUR CURRENT ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT AND MONITORED; AS INSTRUCTED BY THE TCAS VOICE. I DID NOT TAKE THE CTLS; ALTHOUGH I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE; BECAUSE I HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT. I KNEW WE WENT THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT THOUGH AT THE MOMENT WE DID IT I WASN'T SURE THAT WE WERE IN FACT RESPONDING IMPROPERLY. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED; I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED ATC. IT WAS A LESSON LEARNED FOR BOTH OF US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 785752: WE FIRST RECEIVED A TCAS TA STATING 'TFC; TFC' AND AN ICON SHOWING A TARGET AT +500 FT. WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SECONDS; THE UPPER PORTION OF THE VSI TURNED RED AND THE TARGET TURNED RED. BUT THERE WAS NO VOICE STATING TO CLB OR DSND AND NO DONUT SHOWING A CLB OR DSCNT RATE. AS I WAS LOOKING AND EXPECTING TO SEE THE DONUT; I BEGAN TO CLB. WE RPTED THE RA TO ATC. IN THE NEXT SECOND; THE RED INDICATION WENT AWAY AND I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED BACK TO THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT FROM ABOUT 7400 FT. ATC ASKED US WHAT OUR ASSIGNED ALT WAS; AND WE RPTED 7000 FT BUT THAT WE HAD RESPONDED TO OUR RA. ATC SAID THE RESPONSE WAS UNUSUAL BECAUSE THE TFC WAS ABOVE US. WE AGREED. WE WERE NOT ASKED TO SUBMIT A RPT. AFTERWARDS; WE LOOKED UP THE TCAS INDICATIONS IN OUR MANUAL. WE BELIEVED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN AURAL INDICATING WHETHER TO CLB OR DSND AND A DONUT SHOWING THE CLB OR DSCNT RATE. AFTER REVIEWING THE MANUAL; I REALIZED I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN AWAY FROM THE RED THAT FILLED THE UPPER PORTION OF THE VSI OR REMAINED LEVEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.