ACR HAS TCASII RA AND TA. LEVELS OFF TO AVOID.
Synopsis
ACR HAS TCASII RA AND TA. LEVELS OFF TO AVOID.
Narrative
WHILE CLBING THROUGH 8000 FT TO ASSIGNED ALT OF 14000 FT; PIT DEP CALLED VFR TFC 12 O'CLOCK; CLOSE RANGE AND 9500 FT. SKY WAS HAZY AND HE WAS NOT ON OUR TCASII. WE REDUCED OUR RATE OF CLB AND THE TARGET APPEARED AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 2 1/2 MI ON TCASII. WE LEVELED OFF AT 9000 FT AND RECEIVED A DSND RA. I SAW HIM PASS OFF OUR L WING SLIGHTLY ABOVE AND ABOUT 3/4 MI. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO CLE CTR. CLE INFORMED US THAT HE HAD PASSED THE VFR TA TO PIT DEP. IN THE ATC SYS TODAY THE MOST DANGEROUS AIRSPACE THAT I CAN IMAGINE IS THAT JUST OUTSIDE AND ABOVE A TCA. ALL VFR TFC WITH VFR RATED PLTS AND THOSE NOT WISHING TO PARTICIPATE IN RADAR SEPARATION ARE SANDWICHED BTWN 8000 AND 12500. THOSE NOT EQUIPPED WITH MODE C TRANSPONDERS ARE PACKED BTWN 10000 AND 12500. 10000 FT IS WHERE THE FAA ALLOWS RELAXED CABIN ATMOSPHERE; NONSTERILE COCKPIT AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS OFF. ADDITIONALLY THIS IS AN AREA WHERE AIRSPACE RESPONSIBILITY CHANGES HANDS FROM DEP/ARR TO CTR. NUMEROUS HDOFS AND MUCH COORD IS REQUIRED. I HAVE LONG FELT THIS TO BE ONE OF THOSE FOCAL POINTS OF WEAKNESS WHICH IS A MASSIVE ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.