AN ACR EMB120 FLC HAS AN ENCOUNTER WITH A PA31 FREIGHTER WHILE ON APCH TO ACV. THE RPTR AVOIDED THE FREIGHTER BY GOING AROUND AND RE-ENTERING THE PATTERN.

Narrative

CLRED FOR ILS TO ACV BY ZSE AND SWITCHED TO ACV ADVISORY 20 NM OUT TO CHK IN. NO RPTED TFC AND WX UPDATE. HEARD A FREIGHTER (NAVATO) ASK FSS ABOUT FUEL; ASSUMED HE WAS ON GND. JUST INSIDE FAF; MY FO POINTED OUT TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK AND 1 MI; LOW. I TURNED R AND WENT MISSED. FO RPTED INTENTIONS AND THEN FREIGHTER MADE POS RPT. HE CONTINUED BASE TO FINAL TURN AND WE (I) FLEW A FULL PATTERN. FREIGHTER LATER SAID THAT SINCE HE HADN'T SEEN ANY OTHER TFC; HE SKIPPED A POS RPT! AS FAR AS THE BENDIX TCASI; IT'S JUNK! NO OTHER TFC FOR AT LEAST 50 MI AND THE UNIT DID NOT DISPLAY THE TARGET UNTIL HE WAS BEHIND ME. THE FAA REALLY NEEDS TO ISSUE AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ON THE UPCOMING SOFTWARE MODIFICATION TO INCREASE THE PWR OUTPUT. THE ARAC SC147 COMMITTEE TO THE FAA DOESN'T FEEL THIS STRONGLY; UNFORTUNATELY; AND THE MODIFICATION WILL MORE THAN LIKELY BE OPTIONAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR HAS BEEN WORKING FOR SOME TIME TO CHANGE/IMPROVE THE TCASI PERFORMANCE AND IS CURRENTLY ON A COMMITTEE THAT DEALS WITH USER PROBS IN THE NAS. HE DID SAY; HOWEVER; THAT HE DOES NOT THINK THAT TCASI CAN EVER ASSURE THE DEG OF SAFETY THAT THE PRESENT TCASII PROVIDES SINCE WITH TCASI THERE IS NO GUIDANCE TO ESCAPE AN INTRUDER.