Close proximity air carrier-large transport GA-small transport on airway northeast of sjb VOR.

Attributes
ACN	180840
Time
Date	199106
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sbj
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : zny
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	180840
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

At roughly 16000' on climb, 10 DME northeast on sbj, we got a TA followed by an RA on TCAS. The RA directed a descent in excess of 2000 FPM. At the time we were climbing at 1500 FPM. We got a visibility on the traffic and leveled off and turned slightly passing just under a white small transport with turquoise markings. I would estimate the distance at 100'. We were close enough to see the north#, but did not think to do so. Once we had the target visually, we did not look at our instruments until after we had missed it, so I do not know what the TCAS was showing on the ivsi, but it was talking to us as we maneuvering to miss it. While I was maneuvering the aircraft to miss the target, the first officer called ATC. ATC said they had not traffic near us. Just after we passed, ATC said the traffic was VFR at 16500'. The initial RA direction of 2500 FPM descent from our 1500 FPM climb would have surely caused problems in the rear of the aircraft, as the seatbelt light was off and people were up and about. Since a level-off cleared the traffic, a 1000 FPM descent would have cleared with some margin. Is it possible that TCAS is directing us to greater sep than needed? Or was the initial direction just to get us started on a flight path change and would have been modified as I headed toward the desired rate of descent? Re: ATC (note), I had heard that ATC would eliminate VFR codes from the screen to reduce clutter. This is apparently true. If so, it should be stopped as soon as possible. As quickly as ATC got back to us with the data on the small transport, ATC must have gotten the data from something on the scope since there was not enough time lapse to call another sector. With all the bad press on TCAS re: false alerts, I have to admit that absent the visibility contact I would have ignored the TCAS and hit the small transport. That was then; now TCAS and I are pals!! If ATC is so busy that they need to eliminate VFR traffic from the scopes, then we need smaller sectors so that the controller can watch all traffic that might affect the aircraft in his area of responsibility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-LGT GA-SMT ON AIRWAY NORTHEAST OF SJB VOR.

Narrative: AT ROUGHLY 16000' ON CLB, 10 DME NE ON SBJ, WE GOT A TA FOLLOWED BY AN RA ON TCAS. THE RA DIRECTED A DSNT IN EXCESS OF 2000 FPM. AT THE TIME WE WERE CLBING AT 1500 FPM. WE GOT A VIS ON THE TFC AND LEVELED OFF AND TURNED SLIGHTLY PASSING JUST UNDER A WHITE SMT WITH TURQUOISE MARKINGS. I WOULD ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE AT 100'. WE WERE CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THE N#, BUT DID NOT THINK TO DO SO. ONCE WE HAD THE TARGET VISUALLY, WE DID NOT LOOK AT OUR INSTRUMENTS UNTIL AFTER WE HAD MISSED IT, SO I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE TCAS WAS SHOWING ON THE IVSI, BUT IT WAS TALKING TO US AS WE MANEUVERING TO MISS IT. WHILE I WAS MANEUVERING THE ACFT TO MISS THE TARGET, THE F/O CALLED ATC. ATC SAID THEY HAD NOT TFC NEAR US. JUST AFTER WE PASSED, ATC SAID THE TFC WAS VFR AT 16500'. THE INITIAL RA DIRECTION OF 2500 FPM DSNT FROM OUR 1500 FPM CLB WOULD HAVE SURELY CAUSED PROBS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT, AS THE SEATBELT LIGHT WAS OFF AND PEOPLE WERE UP AND ABOUT. SINCE A LEVEL-OFF CLRED THE TFC, A 1000 FPM DSNT WOULD HAVE CLRED WITH SOME MARGIN. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT TCAS IS DIRECTING US TO GREATER SEP THAN NEEDED? OR WAS THE INITIAL DIRECTION JUST TO GET US STARTED ON A FLT PATH CHANGE AND WOULD HAVE BEEN MODIFIED AS I HEADED TOWARD THE DESIRED RATE OF DSNT? RE: ATC (NOTE), I HAD HEARD THAT ATC WOULD ELIMINATE VFR CODES FROM THE SCREEN TO REDUCE CLUTTER. THIS IS APPARENTLY TRUE. IF SO, IT SHOULD BE STOPPED ASAP. AS QUICKLY AS ATC GOT BACK TO US WITH THE DATA ON THE SMT, ATC MUST HAVE GOTTEN THE DATA FROM SOMETHING ON THE SCOPE SINCE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME LAPSE TO CALL ANOTHER SECTOR. WITH ALL THE BAD PRESS ON TCAS RE: FALSE ALERTS, I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT ABSENT THE VIS CONTACT I WOULD HAVE IGNORED THE TCAS AND HIT THE SMT. THAT WAS THEN; NOW TCAS AND I ARE PALS!! IF ATC IS SO BUSY THAT THEY NEED TO ELIMINATE VFR TFC FROM THE SCOPES, THEN WE NEED SMALLER SECTORS SO THAT THE CTLR CAN WATCH ALL TFC THAT MIGHT AFFECT THE ACFT IN HIS AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.

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.