NMAC OCCURRENCE WHEN CAPT OF B727 CLBS FROM 9000 FT WHILE IGNORING THE TCASII RA COMMAND TO DSND TO AVOID UNRPTED VFR TFC AT 9500 FT. CAPT MADE AN ABRUPT L TURN TO AVOID THE TFC.

1997-10 · NASA ASRS report 381995

Date: 1997-10 · Aircraft: B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

NMAC OCCURRENCE WHEN CAPT OF B727 CLBS FROM 9000 FT WHILE IGNORING THE TCASII RA COMMAND TO DSND TO AVOID UNRPTED VFR TFC AT 9500 FT. CAPT MADE AN ABRUPT L TURN TO AVOID THE TFC.

Narrative

I WAS THE SO ON MCO-ATL; ON OCT/XA/97. ON CLB OUT FROM MCO; DEP CTL APPARENTLY HAD A SHIFT CHANGE (MALE VOICE CHANGED TO FEMALE VOICE). THE NEW CTLR CLRED US TO CONTINUE CLBING FROM OUR PRESENT ALT (9000 FT). EVEN THOUGH ALL 3 OF US IN THE COCKPIT SEEMED TO BE AWARE OF TFC TCASII DISPLAYED 5 NM IN FRONT OF US AT 9500 FT; THE CAPT BEGAN A CLB. TCASII IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED WITH 'TFC; TFC' TA. THE CAPT CONTINUED CLBING DESPITE MY OBJECTIONS. TCASII THEN SWITCHED TO RA MODE; 'DSND; DSND NOW; DSND' AND DISPLAYED APPROPRIATE GUIDANCE ON THE TA/VSI. THE CAPT IGNORED THE WARNINGS FROM TCASII AND CONTINUED CLBING EVEN THOUGH I WAS TELLING HIM TO DSND AND NONE OF US HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. AS THE TCASII TARGET MERGED WITH OUR ACFT SYMBOL ON THE DISPLAY; THE CAPT ABRUPTLY TURNED L WHICH PROBABLY PREVENTED A COLLISION. WHEN WE QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT TFC; SHE SAID THERE WAS NONE. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER; WE HEARD HER ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT 'VFR TFC AT 9500 FT; N OF ORLANDO.' BEFORE WE COULD ASK HER AGAIN; SHE HANDED US OFF TO ZJX. THERE WERE 2 CAUSES OF THIS NEAR MISHAP. DEP CTL CLRED US TO CLB THROUGH VFR TFC'S ALT AND THE CAPT FAILED TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO TCASII WARNINGS DESPITE THE OBJECTIONS OF THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS. CRM OR LACK THEREOF IS STILL A BIG FACTOR IN AIRLINE COCKPITS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST LEARNED FROM THE CALLBACK TO THE RPTR THAT THE CTLR HAD ISSUED THE L TURN AND THAT THE FLC DID NOT HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT AT ANY TIME. WHEN ASKED IF IT WAS COMPANY POLICY TO ADHERE TO THE TCASII COMMANDS; THE RPTR STATED IT WAS COMPANY PROC.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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