ACR CAPT REPORTED HIS FO FAILED TO FOLLOW COMPANY PROCEDURES WHEN REACTING TO AN RA ON APCH TO PDX.

Date: 2008-05 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing · Phase: approach

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

ACR CAPT REPORTED HIS FO FAILED TO FOLLOW COMPANY PROCEDURES WHEN REACTING TO AN RA ON APCH TO PDX.

Narrative

DURING A COMMUTER VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10R IN PDX; I SIGHTED A SINGLE ENG CESSNA DEPARTING OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM PEARSON. I LOST SIGHT OF THE TFC AS IT WAS CLBING STEEPLY TO THE W UNDERNEATH MY ACFT. SIMULTANEOUSLY; THE TCAS ISSUED A TA FOLLOWED BY A REDUCE DSCNT RA AT ABOUT 1200 FT AGL. THE FO RESPONDED BY RAISING THE NOSE TO LEVEL FLT (IN THE GREEN ARC). A FEW SECONDS LATER; THE TCAS CHANGED THE RA TO 'CLB' WITH A TARGET VERT SPD OF 2000 FPM. I COMMANDED THE FO 'GO MISSED;' AND TURNED MY ATTN BACK INSIDE TO ASSIST WITH PWR APPLICATION. I FOUND THE FO RAISING THE NOSE FURTHER; AND ADDING A SMALL AMOUNT OF PWR. HE NEVER DID INITIATE THE MISSED APCH; BUT THE TCAS ANNOUNCED 'CLR OF CONFLICT.' THE GEAR WAS ALREADY EXTENDED PRIOR TO THE RA; SO WE COMPLETED CONFIGN FOR LNDG. THE TCAS THEN SELF-SELECTED TA ONLY DUE TO OUR ALT ON APCH AND GAVE 2 ADDITIONAL TA CALLS. AS WE WERE STILL IN POS TO MAKE THE STABILIZED APCH CRITERIA; WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED. THE ACFT DEPARTING PEARSON IMPINGED ON THE TCAS ENVELOPE WITH ITS RAPID CLB. THE FO FAILED TO CONDUCT A MISSED APCH DUE TO THE CLB RA. FIRST; I THINK HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE GUIDANCE IN THE COMPANY MANUAL REGARDING CONDUCTING A MISSED APCH PROC IN RESPONSE TO A CLB RA WHILE IN THE LNDG CONFIGN. IN ADDITION; WITH ALL OF THE RADIO CHATTER AND THE TCAS YELLING AT US; HE DID NOT HEAR ME COMMAND THE MISSED APCH. AT THE TIME OF THE SECOND; CLB RA; I FELT THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENERGY STATE HAD DWINDLED TO A POINT WHERE A SIGNIFICANT PWR APPLICATION WAS NEEDED IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE RATES OF CLB REQUIRED; EVEN MOMENTARILY. I WAS REACHING FOR THE CTLS TO TAKE OVER WHEN THE TCAS ANNOUNCED CLR OF CONFLICT. THE DELAY BTWN THE RA; MY COMMAND TO MISS; AND MY DECISION TO TAKE OVER RESULTED IN OUR FAILURE TO OBTAIN RATES OF CLB ANYWHERE NEAR THAT DISPLAYED ON THE TCAS ARC.

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