Flight crew of medium large transport had TCASII RA simultaneous with breaking out and seeing traffi...

Attributes
ACN	195077
Time
Date	199111
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : syr
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : syr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	195077
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	195070
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 4000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Approaching syracuse airport we were switched over to approach control. The frequency was very congested and after check-in, we were given descent clearance to 4000 ft and a heading of 330 degree. We were 3-4 mi southwest of the VOR descending through 5000 ft in instrument conditions when a TCASII event occurred. A 12 O'clock traffic popped up 500 ft below us and a TCASII maneuver to climb was commanded. We leveled off and began to climb at about 4500 ft we came out of the clouds and observed the traffic conflict and turned slightly east and quickly cleared the traffic. At virtually the same time as our recovery from the TCASII event, approach control contacted us to stop our descent at 4500 ft and turn right to 090 degree. After we explained that we just took evasive action for a TCASII event, we were told that oh, he had you in sight. We were then asked to make a visual to runway 14, however, we were too high and too close so they vectored us to a visual approach runway 10. On the ground, we were asked by the ATC supervisor why we had not heard earlier instructions? I told the supervisor that we responded to and complied with all ATC clrncs given to us. If there were any other clrncs they were blocked, unreadable, or given to another aircraft/flight. No mention was made to us during our descent/approach/TCASII that we had missed any communications! The implication by the supervisor was that we had missed communications that would have taken us clear of the traffic conflict. However, we clearly responded to their instruction to descend to 4000 and head 330 which put us in conflict in the first place. Only during our TCASII event did we hear from the controller to alter course and altitude. The situation was confusing and potentially dangerous. We the pilots will never know the true picture of this conflict since there are parts of the ATC puzzle which were not revealed to us. However, the TCASII performed quite nicely.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG HAD TCASII RA SIMULTANEOUS WITH BREAKING OUT AND SEEING TFC. FLC MADE TURN. STOPPED CLB AS CTLR ASKED THEM TO MAINTAIN 4500 AND TURN.

Narrative: APCHING SYRACUSE ARPT WE WERE SWITCHED OVER TO APCH CTL. THE FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED AND AFTER CHK-IN, WE WERE GIVEN DSCNT CLRNC TO 4000 FT AND A HDG OF 330 DEG. WE WERE 3-4 MI SW OF THE VOR DSNDING THROUGH 5000 FT IN INST CONDITIONS WHEN A TCASII EVENT OCCURRED. A 12 O'CLOCK TFC POPPED UP 500 FT BELOW US AND A TCASII MANEUVER TO CLB WAS COMMANDED. WE LEVELED OFF AND BEGAN TO CLB AT ABOUT 4500 FT WE CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND OBSERVED THE TFC CONFLICT AND TURNED SLIGHTLY E AND QUICKLY CLRED THE TFC. AT VIRTUALLY THE SAME TIME AS OUR RECOVERY FROM THE TCASII EVENT, APCH CTL CONTACTED US TO STOP OUR DSCNT AT 4500 FT AND TURN R TO 090 DEG. AFTER WE EXPLAINED THAT WE JUST TOOK EVASIVE ACTION FOR A TCASII EVENT, WE WERE TOLD THAT OH, HE HAD YOU IN SIGHT. WE WERE THEN ASKED TO MAKE A VISUAL TO RWY 14, HOWEVER, WE WERE TOO HIGH AND TOO CLOSE SO THEY VECTORED US TO A VISUAL APCH RWY 10. ON THE GND, WE WERE ASKED BY THE ATC SUPVR WHY WE HAD NOT HEARD EARLIER INSTRUCTIONS? I TOLD THE SUPVR THAT WE RESPONDED TO AND COMPLIED WITH ALL ATC CLRNCS GIVEN TO US. IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER CLRNCS THEY WERE BLOCKED, UNREADABLE, OR GIVEN TO ANOTHER ACFT/FLT. NO MENTION WAS MADE TO US DURING OUR DSCNT/APCH/TCASII THAT WE HAD MISSED ANY COMS! THE IMPLICATION BY THE SUPVR WAS THAT WE HAD MISSED COMS THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN US CLR OF THE TFC CONFLICT. HOWEVER, WE CLRLY RESPONDED TO THEIR INSTRUCTION TO DSND TO 4000 AND HEAD 330 WHICH PUT US IN CONFLICT IN THE FIRST PLACE. ONLY DURING OUR TCASII EVENT DID WE HEAR FROM THE CTLR TO ALTER COURSE AND ALT. THE SITUATION WAS CONFUSING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. WE THE PLTS WILL NEVER KNOW THE TRUE PICTURE OF THIS CONFLICT SINCE THERE ARE PARTS OF THE ATC PUZZLE WHICH WERE NOT REVEALED TO US. HOWEVER, THE TCASII PERFORMED QUITE NICELY.

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.

Flight crew of medium large transport had TCASII RA simultaneous with breaking out and seeing traffic. Flight crew made turn. Stopped climb as controller asked them to maintain 4500 and turn.