Narrative:

After takeoff msp tower told us to turn to heading 360 and stop climb at 3000 ft for light aircraft traffic ahead at 3500 ft. Turned to 360 heading leveled at 3000 ft with traffic in sight. After traffic was no factor ATC cleared us to resume climb to 6000 ft. At approximately 3200 ft our TCASII alerted with a RA to descend. Descend now. Indicated called for immediate 1500 FPM descent. At approximately 3000 ft in descent TCASII reversed itself and called for an immediate climb at 1500 ft rate with aural climb, climb now! At approximately 4000 ft RA ceased and TCASII returned to normal. Notified ATC and was given a phone number to contact an ATC supervisor upon arrival in dtw. ATC supervisor apologized and said that msp TRACON kept us low to avoid the 3500 ft traffic and inadvertently flew us out of the floor of the TCA and into VFR traffic. In our climb out and clean up with noise abatement procedure, we were looking for and did spot several targets, but we did not see the traffic which set off the TCASII. On the TCASII scale we missed the traffic by approximately 1/2 mi and no vertical separation. ATC supervisor said it was a TCASII non event as our avoidance maneuver did not violate any clearance limit. The entire maneuver was between 3000 and 4000 ft and we had been cleared to 6000 ft with no notice that we were being flown out of the TCA -- needless to say it was a major event for me and my crew if not for ATC. TCASII worked exceptionally well! It is my understanding that the TCA serves to segregate IFR and VFR traffic in busy terminal areas. As an air carrier I feel we should not have been flown out of the floor of the TCA and if it was necessary to do so we should have been notified. Pilots are warned to stay within the TCA on visual approachs. The same standard should be maintained for departures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT RECEIVED TCASII RA DURING CLB OUT AND AFTER THE EVENT WAS TOLD TO CALL TRACON SUPVR.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF MSP TWR TOLD US TO TURN TO HDG 360 AND STOP CLB AT 3000 FT FOR LIGHT ACFT TFC AHEAD AT 3500 FT. TURNED TO 360 HDG LEVELED AT 3000 FT WITH TFC IN SIGHT. AFTER TFC WAS NO FACTOR ATC CLRED US TO RESUME CLB TO 6000 FT. AT APPROX 3200 FT OUR TCASII ALERTED WITH A RA TO DSND. DSND NOW. INDICATED CALLED FOR IMMEDIATE 1500 FPM DSCNT. AT APPROX 3000 FT IN DSCNT TCASII REVERSED ITSELF AND CALLED FOR AN IMMEDIATE CLB AT 1500 FT RATE WITH AURAL CLB, CLB NOW! AT APPROX 4000 FT RA CEASED AND TCASII RETURNED TO NORMAL. NOTIFIED ATC AND WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT AN ATC SUPVR UPON ARR IN DTW. ATC SUPVR APOLOGIZED AND SAID THAT MSP TRACON KEPT US LOW TO AVOID THE 3500 FT TFC AND INADVERTENTLY FLEW US OUT OF THE FLOOR OF THE TCA AND INTO VFR TFC. IN OUR CLB OUT AND CLEAN UP WITH NOISE ABATEMENT PROC, WE WERE LOOKING FOR AND DID SPOT SEVERAL TARGETS, BUT WE DID NOT SEE THE TFC WHICH SET OFF THE TCASII. ON THE TCASII SCALE WE MISSED THE TFC BY APPROX 1/2 MI AND NO VERT SEPARATION. ATC SUPVR SAID IT WAS A TCASII NON EVENT AS OUR AVOIDANCE MANEUVER DID NOT VIOLATE ANY CLRNC LIMIT. THE ENTIRE MANEUVER WAS BTWN 3000 AND 4000 FT AND WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 6000 FT WITH NO NOTICE THAT WE WERE BEING FLOWN OUT OF THE TCA -- NEEDLESS TO SAY IT WAS A MAJOR EVENT FOR ME AND MY CREW IF NOT FOR ATC. TCASII WORKED EXCEPTIONALLY WELL! IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TCA SERVES TO SEGREGATE IFR AND VFR TFC IN BUSY TERMINAL AREAS. AS AN AIR CARRIER I FEEL WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FLOWN OUT OF THE FLOOR OF THE TCA AND IF IT WAS NECESSARY TO DO SO WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. PLTS ARE WARNED TO STAY WITHIN THE TCA ON VISUAL APCHS. THE SAME STANDARD SHOULD BE MAINTAINED FOR DEPS.

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.