MD88 CREW HAD A TCASII RA WHILE ON FINAL AT IAH.
Synopsis
MD88 CREW HAD A TCASII RA WHILE ON FINAL AT IAH.
Narrative
I WAS THE CAPT OF ACR FLT XXX FROM ATL TO IAH ON NOV/SUN/98. THE FLT WAS NORMAL UP TO OUR HDOF TO HOUSTON TRACON. I WAS THE PF. WE WERE CONDUCTING THE ILS TO RWY 26. WE WERE AT 3000 FT MSL; AUTOPLT ENGAGED; ON LOC; ON GS AT 180 KIAS. WE WERE IMC WITH VISIBILITY NIL. AT 3000 FT; WE RECEIVED A TCASII RA; 'CLB; CLB; CLB.' I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND FOLLOWED THE COMMANDED GUIDANCE ON THE TA/VSI. THE FO CALLED 'MISSED APCH' AND TOLD IAH TWR THAT A RA HAD TAKEN PLACE. THE HOUSTON TWR CTLR THEN SAID; 'ACR; YOU ARE AWARE THAT WE CONDUCT PARALLEL APCHS HERE; AREN'T YOU?' WE WERE THEN GIVEN A R TURN TO 360 DEGS AND CLB TO 4000 FT. AT THAT TIME WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 4000 FT. WE PEAKED OUT AT 4500 FT AND DSNDED BACK DOWN. WHEN I CHKED IN WITH APCH CTL; HE SAID; 'ACR; YOU ARE AWARE THAT WE CONDUCT PARALLEL APCHS HERE; AREN'T YOU?' I TOLD HIM I DID NOT WISH TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER IN THE AIR. HERE ARE THE FACTS: 1) WE WERE IMC CONDUCTING AN INST APCH; 2) WE RECEIVED NO TA FROM ATC; 3) WE RECEIVED NO 'TFC ALERT' ON THE TCASII; 4) OUR INFLT VISIBILITY WAS NIL. THE SAFEST; MOST PRUDENT DECISION WAS TO FOLLOW THE RA GUIDANCE. I FELT LIKE I WAS IN AN 'IN EXTREMIS' SIT. I AM VERY UNCOMFORTABLE BY THE ATTEMPT OF 2 SEPARATE ATC CTLRS TO TRIVIALIZE MY DECISION. IN FACT; THE APCH CTLR SAID; 'THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.' THESE ATTITUDES ARE UNACCEPTABLE AND POSE POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERNS. I MADE A FULL RPT TO THE COMPANY. THE ATC LIAISON REPRESENTATIVE IS INVESTIGATING THE MATTER.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.