Air carrier medium large transport stops descent in response to TCASII TA.

Attributes
ACN	188678
Time
Date	199109
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abe
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2700 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : abe
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 26000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	188678
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On approach to abe we were vectored to the localizer. When turned to a heading for localizer intercept and cleared for the approach our TCAS called 'traffic'. We were then notified of traffic by approach control and very shortly after saw the traffic at 10 O'clock slightly below our altitude and 1-2 mi away. It was a twin engine private aircraft. About that time I was approaching the localizer and stopped my descent and turned on final hoping the turning aircraft (mine) in a bank would be more visible to the other aircraft. I had the other aircraft in view until it passed directly underneath mine but we were separated by perhaps 300 ft and I had stopped my descent to preclude collision. Conclusion: TCAS is great but you need almost a full-time operator in congested areas. With 2 pilots, the need to fly the aircraft demands most of your attention and TCAS becomes almost a distraction with all the other demands it can't be utilized fully. The need to look at the display, interpret it and get back outside the cockpit while intercepting localizer etc and monitoring altitudes etc almost degrades your ability to see what's out there by looking outside in the first place!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG STOPS DSCNT IN RESPONSE TO TCASII TA.

Narrative: ON APCH TO ABE WE WERE VECTORED TO THE LOC. WHEN TURNED TO A HDG FOR LOC INTERCEPT AND CLRED FOR THE APCH OUR TCAS CALLED 'TFC'. WE WERE THEN NOTIFIED OF TFC BY APCH CTL AND VERY SHORTLY AFTER SAW THE TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK SLIGHTLY BELOW OUR ALT AND 1-2 MI AWAY. IT WAS A TWIN ENG PRIVATE ACFT. ABOUT THAT TIME I WAS APCHING THE LOC AND STOPPED MY DSCNT AND TURNED ON FINAL HOPING THE TURNING ACFT (MINE) IN A BANK WOULD BE MORE VISIBLE TO THE OTHER ACFT. I HAD THE OTHER ACFT IN VIEW UNTIL IT PASSED DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH MINE BUT WE WERE SEPARATED BY PERHAPS 300 FT AND I HAD STOPPED MY DSCNT TO PRECLUDE COLLISION. CONCLUSION: TCAS IS GREAT BUT YOU NEED ALMOST A FULL-TIME OPERATOR IN CONGESTED AREAS. WITH 2 PLTS, THE NEED TO FLY THE ACFT DEMANDS MOST OF YOUR ATTN AND TCAS BECOMES ALMOST A DISTR WITH ALL THE OTHER DEMANDS IT CAN'T BE UTILIZED FULLY. THE NEED TO LOOK AT THE DISPLAY, INTERPRET IT AND GET BACK OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT WHILE INTERCEPTING LOC ETC AND MONITORING ALTS ETC ALMOST DEGRADES YOUR ABILITY TO SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE BY LOOKING OUTSIDE IN THE FIRST PLACE!

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.