B737 air carrier crew reported a TCAS RA command to descend on final approach due to aircraft established on the parallel runway. The Captain followed the TCAS descend command until a minimum altitude then selected TCAS TA only and continued to a safe landing.
Synopsis
B737 air carrier crew reported a TCAS RA command to descend on final approach due to aircraft established on the parallel runway. The Captain followed the TCAS descend command until a minimum altitude then selected TCAS TA only and continued to a safe landing.
Narrative
Was vectored onto XXR approach by air traffic control and was asked if we saw the parallel traffic on XXL. We confirmed and at that point we were cleared the visual on XXR. Was coming on final approach to runway XXR on the visual and at 1500 ft AFE (Above Field Elevation) right at the final approach fix of ZZZZZ after being established for approximately 3-4 miles; we received the TCAS RA to descend. We advised Tower that we were responding to a TCAS RA and they said to let them know if we break off the approach. We rode the TCAS RA all the way down to approximately 600 ft. AFE and with the RA flying us towards the ground without turning off we decided to go to TA only as the aircraft that was causing the RA was stable and no where near our flight path so we could land uneventfully. What bothered us the most is that if we happened to have been IMC on an approach. Would the TCAS RA have went away? Technically we could have not executed a go-around in this scenario with a descending RA. We never heard any calls from the other aircraft.
Second reporter narrative
On a vector to final for Runway XXR we got a traffic callout for the parallel runway from Tower. We had them in sight and continued the approach. While intercepting final we got a RA. The RA directed a decent. We complied with the RA and notified Tower. The RA directed a decent. The other aircraft was flying down the glide slope; so RA continued directing a shallow decent. At 1;000 ft. we turned the TCAS to TA only since the RA was directing us into the ground. We landed uneventfully.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.