Narrative:

Flight was from ewr to mht. Approach control descended us to 3000 ft and turned us downwind for spacing. We were turned base, heading 090 degrees at approximately 10 NM from the airport and approach advised us of traffic climbing through 2500 ft wbound about 8 NM at 11 O'clock. We could not see the traffic at 4 NM climbing through 2800 ft. About this time we got a TCASII RA to 'descend' so I disconnected the autoplt and autothrottles and initiated a descent. At approximately 2800 ft the TCASII reversed and gave a loud 'climb now, climb now' so I pulled the nose up and added power. We were about 3700 ft when we got a 'clear of conflict' and about this time we saw the traffic passing 11 O'clock at about 2 NM. We were then cleared for a visual approach and landed on runway 35. The target aircraft never got closer than 2 NM and had we seen it, it would have been obvious that little, if any, maneuvering would have been required. Had the traffic been directly at 12 O'clock, head on, the maneuver may have been appropriate. Also, when the nose came up, some equipment in the aft galley started sliding and had to be restrained by a flight attendant who may have injured her back. I called the ATC supervisor from our operations office in mht and reported our altitude deviation. I also asked him to review the controller's instructions to turn us base when it put us on a closing course with VFR traffic climbing through our altitude. The TCASII is nice but this situation was not necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON APCH HAS TCASII INSTRUCTIONS TO DSND, THEN TO CLB.

Narrative: FLT WAS FROM EWR TO MHT. APCH CTL DSNDED US TO 3000 FT AND TURNED US DOWNWIND FOR SPACING. WE WERE TURNED BASE, HDG 090 DEGS AT APPROX 10 NM FROM THE ARPT AND APCH ADVISED US OF TFC CLBING THROUGH 2500 FT WBOUND ABOUT 8 NM AT 11 O'CLOCK. WE COULD NOT SEE THE TFC AT 4 NM CLBING THROUGH 2800 FT. ABOUT THIS TIME WE GOT A TCASII RA TO 'DSND' SO I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES AND INITIATED A DSCNT. AT APPROX 2800 FT THE TCASII REVERSED AND GAVE A LOUD 'CLB NOW, CLB NOW' SO I PULLED THE NOSE UP AND ADDED PWR. WE WERE ABOUT 3700 FT WHEN WE GOT A 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AND ABOUT THIS TIME WE SAW THE TFC PASSING 11 O'CLOCK AT ABOUT 2 NM. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND LANDED ON RWY 35. THE TARGET ACFT NEVER GOT CLOSER THAN 2 NM AND HAD WE SEEN IT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS THAT LITTLE, IF ANY, MANEUVERING WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED. HAD THE TFC BEEN DIRECTLY AT 12 O'CLOCK, HEAD ON, THE MANEUVER MAY HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE. ALSO, WHEN THE NOSE CAME UP, SOME EQUIP IN THE AFT GALLEY STARTED SLIDING AND HAD TO BE RESTRAINED BY A FLT ATTENDANT WHO MAY HAVE INJURED HER BACK. I CALLED THE ATC SUPVR FROM OUR OPS OFFICE IN MHT AND RPTED OUR ALT DEV. I ALSO ASKED HIM TO REVIEW THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN US BASE WHEN IT PUT US ON A CLOSING COURSE WITH VFR TFC CLBING THROUGH OUR ALT. THE TCASII IS NICE BUT THIS SITUATION WAS NOT NECESSARY.

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.