Altitude deviation altitude excursion upon alarm from TCASII RA.

Attributes
ACN	202705
Time
Date	199202
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	202705
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	202698
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At 5000 ft on downwind leg at clt (north of field) received a TCASII RA to descend at greater than 2000 FPM just as approach controller gave us a turn to the right. We descended and advised ATC at once we were going down due to the TCASII RA. Controller said there was traffic circling in the area. Since we didn't see the traffic and were given an RA we had no choice but to comply. At about 4300 ft TCASII instructed 'monitor vertical speed' followed by 'clear of conflict' at 4000 ft. We advised ATC we were level at 4000 ft. If the controller knew he had traffic that close to us and possibly planned to turn us inside of him then by giving us the information he might have allowed us to spot the traffic visually and not have to rapidly descend since we were turning away from the conflict.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION UPON ALARM FROM TCASII RA.

Narrative: AT 5000 FT ON DOWNWIND LEG AT CLT (N OF FIELD) RECEIVED A TCASII RA TO DSND AT GREATER THAN 2000 FPM JUST AS APCH CTLR GAVE US A TURN TO THE R. WE DSNDED AND ADVISED ATC AT ONCE WE WERE GOING DOWN DUE TO THE TCASII RA. CTLR SAID THERE WAS TFC CIRCLING IN THE AREA. SINCE WE DIDN'T SEE THE TFC AND WERE GIVEN AN RA WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO COMPLY. AT ABOUT 4300 FT TCASII INSTRUCTED 'MONITOR VERT SPD' FOLLOWED BY 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AT 4000 FT. WE ADVISED ATC WE WERE LEVEL AT 4000 FT. IF THE CTLR KNEW HE HAD TFC THAT CLOSE TO US AND POSSIBLY PLANNED TO TURN US INSIDE OF HIM THEN BY GIVING US THE INFO HE MIGHT HAVE ALLOWED US TO SPOT THE TFC VISUALLY AND NOT HAVE TO RAPIDLY DSND SINCE WE WERE TURNING AWAY FROM THE CONFLICT.

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.