AN MD90 IS GIVEN VFR TFC BY ZFW WHICH BECOMES A TCASII RA WHEN THE PIC LOSES HIS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS REGARDING THE SEPARATION CRITERION.

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ZFW HAD US ON VECTORS AT 13000 FT MSL FOR SEPARATION FROM OTHER IFR TFC ON OUR DSCNT INTO SAT WHEN THEY POINTED OUT VFR TFC AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS. MY FO AND THE JUMP SEAT RIDER GOT A VISUAL ON THE ACFT AND MENTIONED THEY JUST SAW A LARGE GROUP OF JUMPERS EXITING THE ACFT. I THEN SAW THE TARGET BUT NEVER ANY JUMPERS. THE TFC WAS GETTING LARGER AND WAS FROZEN ON THE WINDSCREEN SO I KNEW IT WAS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT. AT ABOUT THIS TIME WE GOT A TCASII RA OF 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT TO BE READY FOR EVASIVE ACTION AND CONTINUED TO WATCH THE TFC. I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE TFC WAS CHANGING ALT BUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE. I WAS DISTR BY THE TCASII WARNING AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO SLOW AND START A SHALLOW DSCNT. THE RA NOW GOES TO A 'CLB.' I LOOKED BACK INSIDE TO SEE MY ALT AT 12800 FT MSL AND THE VSI CONTINUING TO SHOW A LARGE RED ARC. I ADDED PWR AND CLBED BACK UP TO ABOUT 13200 FT MSL AND THE TCASII WARNING CEASED. NO COMPLAINT WAS MADE BY CTR AS TO OUR ALT. ADDITIONAL FACTORS: THE SUN WAS IN OUR EYES AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE INSIDE AFTER LOOKING OUT AT THE TFC. AUTOTHROTTLES WEREN'T WORKING. I MADE THIS SIT WORSE BY DISCONNECTING THE AUTOPLT AND ALLOWING THE ACFT TO DSND. THE AUTOTHROTTLES WEREN'T WORKING AS THEY NORMALLY ARE AND THIS FURTHER COMPLICATED THE SIT BECAUSE WE GOT SLOW; TOO. I HAD TROUBLE SEEING THE VSI BECAUSE OF GLARE. THE FACT THAT THE TCASII HAD A RED RA TARGET AND WAS TELLING ME TO DO SOMETHING MADE ME FEEL LIKE I NEEDED TO TAKE ACTION. IN THE FUTURE I WILL STAY INSIDE AND ASK THE FO TO LOOK FOR THE TFC. THIS WAY I WILL BE ABLE TO BETTER INTERP THE RESOLUTION ACTION. MONITOR VERT SPD; IF IN LEVEL FLT; MEANS STAY LEVEL; DO NOTHING; BUT BE READY TO DO SOMETHING. IF I HAD AN RA OF 'MONITOR VERT SPD' IN A DSCNT; I MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE MY DSCNT RATE. I PLAN TO REVIEW THE TCASII SYS AND CHAIR FLY MYSELF THROUGH THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.