N90 controller described a conflict event involving an air carrier and issued VFR traffic; the air c...

Narrative:

Administering skill check to my trainee; not very busy on position. Trainee gave traffic call to a crj; who was descending to 8000 ft; about a VFR aircraft (120 KTS); who was slowly descending through 8000 ft; northbound. The crj reported VFR in sight; trainee gave the proverbial 'maintain visual...' call (even though technically not needed). Moments later the crj reported climbing due to an RA; reporting that the VFR was a piper arrow; and if we wanted he could supply the north number; implying that he came very close to the aircraft. Three questions come too mind: 1. Why is the pilot responding to an RA when he has the other aircraft in sight? 2. With said aircraft in sight; why is the pilot allowing himself to get that close that he can see the north numbers? 3. Should he not give him self a little bit wider berth; by either slowing down his descent or going left or right by a couple of hundred feet?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: N90 Controller described a conflict event involving an air carrier and issued VFR traffic; the air carrier responding to the TCAS alert after reporting the VFR traffic in sight.

Narrative: Administering skill check to my trainee; not very busy on position. Trainee gave traffic call to a CRJ; who was descending to 8000 FT; about a VFR aircraft (120 KTS); who was slowly descending through 8000 FT; Northbound. The CRJ reported VFR in sight; trainee gave the proverbial 'maintain visual...' call (even though technically not needed). Moments later the CRJ reported climbing due to an RA; reporting that the VFR was a Piper Arrow; and if we wanted he could supply the N number; implying that he came very close to the aircraft. Three questions come too mind: 1. Why is the pilot responding to an RA when he has the other aircraft in sight? 2. With said aircraft in sight; why is the pilot allowing himself to get that close that he can see the N numbers? 3. Should he not give him self a little bit wider berth; by either slowing down his descent or going left or right by a couple of hundred feet?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	894834
Time
Date	201006
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	N90.TRACON
State Reference	NY
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Descent
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft Low Wing 1 Eng Fixed Gear
Person 1
Function	Approach
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict NMAC
Miss Distance	Horizontal 1519 Vertical 100

N90 controller described a conflict event involving an air carrier and issued VFR traffic; the air carrier responding to the TCAS alert after reporting the VFR traffic in sight.