A320 REACTS TO TCASII RA DURING DEP FROM PALM SPRINGS; CA. DEP RADAR WAS INOP.

Narrative

HDOF FROM PSP DEP TO ZLA HAD JUST OCCURRED. ACFT FLYING WITH AUTOPLT ON; AND MANAGED NAV IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH SID AND ASSIGNED ALTS. ACFT IN R TURN JUST AFTER PASSING EMRUD (CATH7.PSP). ZLA INSTRUCTED FLT 'GO DIRECT TNP.' DIRECT TNP; SELECTED IN MCDU. ACFT TURNED L (SHORTEST TURN) AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO TNP. RA OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER ACFT WAS ESTABLISHED IN L TURN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 460281: ON A CATHEDRAL 7 DEP OUT OF PSP; JUST AS WE REACHED EMRUD; WE WERE SWITCHED TO ZLA; WHO IMMEDIATELY GAVE US 'CLRED DIRECT TO TWENTYNINE PALMS.' I PUT DIRECT TNP INTO THE MCDU AND THE ACFT STARTED A L TURN (SHORTEST DIRECTION). ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WE GOT AN RA FROM AN ACFT XING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US AT OUR ALT. FOLLOWING TCASII INSTRUCTIONS; THE PF DSNDED TO 8500 FT AND THE CONFLICT WAS CLRED. THE PSP RADAR WAS OTS AND THIS MOST ASSUREDLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SIT. THE CTR CTLR MAY HAVE EXPECTED US TO TURN R AS WE WERE ALREADY STARTING A R TURN AS PART OF THE SID; BUT THE CLRNC ISSUED WAS 'DIRECT' AND THE AUTOMATION TOOK THE SHORTEST DIRECTION. CTR DID CALL THE TFC AFTER WE WERE INTO RA. A VFR CLB RATHER THAN THE RATHER COMPLICATED SID IN A NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE PREVENTED THE SIT. EVEN DOING OUR OWN CTLING USING THE TCASII WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER. THIS WAS THE SECOND OF 2 TCASII RA'S WE GOT ON THIS DEP (THE FIRST RPTED UNDER SEPARATE COVER).