Air carrier did not pick up middle marker which was assigned as turning fix. TCASII alert.

Attributes
ACN	202926
Time
Date	199202
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	202926
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 9000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

With takeoff clearance we were instructed to turn left to 250 degree at the middle marker. Never picked up beacon so started turn about 500 ft AGL. Received simultaneous TCASII alert and climb/standard departure instructions from tower while cleaning up and looking for traffic off the right side that caused the alert. Departure said we were closer than normal to parallel traffic (due to late turn). Traffic picked up visual. TCASII alert, radio calls, no marker and clean up overloaded first officer and created temporary confusion during critical phase of flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DID NOT PICK UP MIDDLE MARKER WHICH WAS ASSIGNED AS TURNING FIX. TCASII ALERT.

Narrative: WITH TKOF CLRNC WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN L TO 250 DEG AT THE MIDDLE MARKER. NEVER PICKED UP BEACON SO STARTED TURN ABOUT 500 FT AGL. RECEIVED SIMULTANEOUS TCASII ALERT AND CLB/STANDARD DEP INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR WHILE CLEANING UP AND LOOKING FOR TFC OFF THE R SIDE THAT CAUSED THE ALERT. DEP SAID WE WERE CLOSER THAN NORMAL TO PARALLEL TFC (DUE TO LATE TURN). TFC PICKED UP VISUAL. TCASII ALERT, RADIO CALLS, NO MARKER AND CLEAN UP OVERLOADED FO AND CREATED TEMPORARY CONFUSION DURING CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT.

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.