Narrative:

Just prior to departure from srq, local control cleared a single engine small aircraft Y to circle the airport at 1500 MSL. About 2 mins later, we were cleared for takeoff on runway 32. No advisory of the traffic circling north of the airport was issued to us by ATC. During climb at about 500 MSL TCASII issued a TA and displayed an aircraft at our 2 O'clock, level, 700 ft above our altitude, distance less than 2 mi. The first officer (who was flying) immediately had the aircraft in sight since a left turn had already been started about 4 DME from the srq VOR in compliance with our initial ATC departure instructions. In order to avoid the impending near midair collision, bank angle was increased and climb was reduced (ultimately to the point of a slight descent). As these actions were being initiated, TCASII issued an RA of 'monitor vertical speed' and commanded a 3000-3500 FPM climb! Compliance with that command would have resulted in even less separation than we were headed for, so RA was ignored. The small aircraft Y was in a steep right turn when we sighted it, but even so it's path was not correcting fast enough. I believe our failure to take evasive action would have most likely had dire consequence. After the collision was avoided the local controller advised the small aircraft Y that it's turns were supposed to have been made in the other direction and well east of the runway 32 centerline. The local controller thanked us for a good rate of turn and handed us off to tpa departure. TCASII was a 2-EDGED sword. It warned us of the traffic (which I think ultimately did save some lives because it got our attention outside) but the RA may well have caused a collision had we complied with it. Regardless of the seemingly faulty RA, we all agreed that having the TCASII did save the day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN ACR MLG AND SMA IN THE SRQ ATA.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO DEP FROM SRQ, LCL CTL CLRED A SINGLE ENG SMA Y TO CIRCLE THE ARPT AT 1500 MSL. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER, WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 32. NO ADVISORY OF THE TFC CIRCLING N OF THE ARPT WAS ISSUED TO US BY ATC. DURING CLB AT ABOUT 500 MSL TCASII ISSUED A TA AND DISPLAYED AN ACFT AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK, LEVEL, 700 FT ABOVE OUR ALT, DISTANCE LESS THAN 2 MI. THE FO (WHO WAS FLYING) IMMEDIATELY HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT SINCE A L TURN HAD ALREADY BEEN STARTED ABOUT 4 DME FROM THE SRQ VOR IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR INITIAL ATC DEP INSTRUCTIONS. IN ORDER TO AVOID THE IMPENDING NMAC, BANK ANGLE WAS INCREASED AND CLB WAS REDUCED (ULTIMATELY TO THE POINT OF A SLIGHT DSCNT). AS THESE ACTIONS WERE BEING INITIATED, TCASII ISSUED AN RA OF 'MONITOR VERT SPD' AND COMMANDED A 3000-3500 FPM CLB! COMPLIANCE WITH THAT COMMAND WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN EVEN LESS SEPARATION THAN WE WERE HEADED FOR, SO RA WAS IGNORED. THE SMA Y WAS IN A STEEP R TURN WHEN WE SIGHTED IT, BUT EVEN SO IT'S PATH WAS NOT CORRECTING FAST ENOUGH. I BELIEVE OUR FAILURE TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION WOULD HAVE MOST LIKELY HAD DIRE CONSEQUENCE. AFTER THE COLLISION WAS AVOIDED THE LCL CTLR ADVISED THE SMA Y THAT IT'S TURNS WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE OTHER DIRECTION AND WELL E OF THE RWY 32 CTRLINE. THE LCL CTLR THANKED US FOR A GOOD RATE OF TURN AND HANDED US OFF TO TPA DEP. TCASII WAS A 2-EDGED SWORD. IT WARNED US OF THE TFC (WHICH I THINK ULTIMATELY DID SAVE SOME LIVES BECAUSE IT GOT OUR ATTN OUTSIDE) BUT THE RA MAY WELL HAVE CAUSED A COLLISION HAD WE COMPLIED WITH IT. REGARDLESS OF THE SEEMINGLY FAULTY RA, WE ALL AGREED THAT HAVING THE TCASII DID SAVE THE DAY.

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.