TCAS ii RA climb. Flight crew climbed aircraft 500'. Resolution. Then returned to 14000'.

Attributes
ACN	173110
Time
Date	199103
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zla
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	173110
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	173011
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Level flight inbound to kayoh intersection at 14000' speed 270 KIAS. TCAS displayed a F/a to climb at rate of approximately 1800 FPM, immediately complied. Aircraft climbed to 14500' before clearing traffic. After TCAS F/a conflicting traffic sighted visly (a military trner maneuvering to remain VFR). Descended to 14000'. No conflict with approach control. Reported TCAS maneuver to approach control and continued arrival. Altitude excursion was 500'. When the TCAS displayed right/a both pilots went inside the cockpit to confirm the conflict. No one was initially looking outside. Took precious seconds to interpret the screen and to visly locate the traffic. I recommend a procedure be initiated to have the PF look immediately outside the aircraft and the PNF immediately call traffic location and relative altitude and confirm the climb/descend or turn resolution. Example 'traffic 12 O'clock, 2000' high, descend and turn left.' this procedure would get one pilot outside, the other confirming the location and the required evasive action with an immediate required response.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCAS II RA CLIMB. FLT CREW CLIMBED ACFT 500'. RESOLUTION. THEN RETURNED TO 14000'.

Narrative: LEVEL FLT INBND TO KAYOH INTXN AT 14000' SPD 270 KIAS. TCAS DISPLAYED A F/A TO CLB AT RATE OF APPROX 1800 FPM, IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED. ACFT CLBED TO 14500' BEFORE CLRING TFC. AFTER TCAS F/A CONFLICTING TFC SIGHTED VISLY (A MIL TRNER MANEUVERING TO REMAIN VFR). DSNDED TO 14000'. NO CONFLICT WITH APCH CTL. RPTED TCAS MANEUVER TO APCH CTL AND CONTINUED ARR. ALT EXCURSION WAS 500'. WHEN THE TCAS DISPLAYED R/A BOTH PLTS WENT INSIDE THE COCKPIT TO CONFIRM THE CONFLICT. NO ONE WAS INITIALLY LOOKING OUTSIDE. TOOK PRECIOUS SECS TO INTERPRET THE SCREEN AND TO VISLY LOCATE THE TFC. I RECOMMEND A PROC BE INITIATED TO HAVE THE PF LOOK IMMEDIATELY OUTSIDE THE ACFT AND THE PNF IMMEDIATELY CALL TFC LOCATION AND RELATIVE ALT AND CONFIRM THE CLB/DSND OR TURN RESOLUTION. EXAMPLE 'TFC 12 O'CLOCK, 2000' HIGH, DSND AND TURN L.' THIS PROC WOULD GET ONE PLT OUTSIDE, THE OTHER CONFIRMING THE LOCATION AND THE REQUIRED EVASIVE ACTION WITH AN IMMEDIATE REQUIRED RESPONSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.