Narrative:

Air carrier X had taken off using the (EAGUL1.eagul) SID and were heading 360 degrees at 8000 ft. TCASII called 'traffic.' the traffic was noted at 1145 O'clock position, approximately 4 mi at plus 100 ft relative altitude. TCASII then called 'climb' when traffic approximately 3 mi (on CRT). I departed 8000 ft climbing as TCASII had 'advised' and first officer let ATC know. ATC replied maintain 8500 ft approximately at the same time we were at 8600 ft and TCASII said 'reduce climb' and then 'descend.' first officer reported traffic (on his CRT) at 9000 ft -- 12 O'clock position -- approximately 3 mi. ATC did eventually call out the 8000 ft traffic (I don't know if it was a 'pop-up' or not). The TCASII called 'clear of conflict' at about the same time ATC cleared us to maintain 9000 ft. Note: captain eventually saw a small aircraft pass 9 O'clock position approximately 3/4 mi that appeared to be approximately at 8000 ft. First officer saw medium large transport going left to right about 3 mi ahead at about 9000 ft. Comments: my only previous TCASII maneuvers have been 'flown' using a 'plato' computer in an instruction check-off. I was already hand flying the large transport at 8000 ft and at the 'climb' advisory, I began climb fairly aggressively as I knew the traffic was indicated to 100 ft above us. No vertical maneuvering took place in the 'red zones' of our TCASII indications. Things seemed to take place and the situation and advisories from TCASII and ATC changed much more rapidly than the 'plato' practice sessions ever provided. I wonder if a more appropriate TCASII RA might have been to descend. (I don't know what traffic was under us, or if the TCASII had started considering the 9000 ft medium large transport traffic at the time of the RA). Another factor might be my relative inexperience with: large transport 'glass' cockpits, 2-PLT cockpit, this particular TCASII (I had just transitioned from widebody transport captain). Note: none of the traffic was visually acquired until 'clear of conflict' was advised. Both pilots spent a lot of time scanning back and forth between CRT's and outside for reported (by TCASII) traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TCASII RA CLB WITH SMA. UNAUTHORIZED CLB FROM ASSIGNED ALT. PLTDEV.

Narrative: ACR X HAD TAKEN OFF USING THE (EAGUL1.EAGUL) SID AND WERE HDG 360 DEGS AT 8000 FT. TCASII CALLED 'TFC.' THE TFC WAS NOTED AT 1145 O'CLOCK POS, APPROX 4 MI AT PLUS 100 FT RELATIVE ALT. TCASII THEN CALLED 'CLB' WHEN TFC APPROX 3 MI (ON CRT). I DEPARTED 8000 FT CLBING AS TCASII HAD 'ADVISED' AND FO LET ATC KNOW. ATC REPLIED MAINTAIN 8500 FT APPROX AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE AT 8600 FT AND TCASII SAID 'REDUCE CLB' AND THEN 'DSND.' FO RPTED TFC (ON HIS CRT) AT 9000 FT -- 12 O'CLOCK POS -- APPROX 3 MI. ATC DID EVENTUALLY CALL OUT THE 8000 FT TFC (I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A 'POP-UP' OR NOT). THE TCASII CALLED 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME ATC CLRED US TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT. NOTE: CAPT EVENTUALLY SAW A SMA PASS 9 O'CLOCK POS APPROX 3/4 MI THAT APPEARED TO BE APPROX AT 8000 FT. FO SAW MLG GOING L TO R ABOUT 3 MI AHEAD AT ABOUT 9000 FT. COMMENTS: MY ONLY PREVIOUS TCASII MANEUVERS HAVE BEEN 'FLOWN' USING A 'PLATO' COMPUTER IN AN INSTRUCTION CHK-OFF. I WAS ALREADY HAND FLYING THE LGT AT 8000 FT AND AT THE 'CLB' ADVISORY, I BEGAN CLB FAIRLY AGGRESSIVELY AS I KNEW THE TFC WAS INDICATED TO 100 FT ABOVE US. NO VERT MANEUVERING TOOK PLACE IN THE 'RED ZONES' OF OUR TCASII INDICATIONS. THINGS SEEMED TO TAKE PLACE AND THE SITUATION AND ADVISORIES FROM TCASII AND ATC CHANGED MUCH MORE RAPIDLY THAN THE 'PLATO' PRACTICE SESSIONS EVER PROVIDED. I WONDER IF A MORE APPROPRIATE TCASII RA MIGHT HAVE BEEN TO DSND. (I DON'T KNOW WHAT TFC WAS UNDER US, OR IF THE TCASII HAD STARTED CONSIDERING THE 9000 FT MLG TFC AT THE TIME OF THE RA). ANOTHER FACTOR MIGHT BE MY RELATIVE INEXPERIENCE WITH: LGT 'GLASS' COCKPITS, 2-PLT COCKPIT, THIS PARTICULAR TCASII (I HAD JUST TRANSITIONED FROM WDB CAPT). NOTE: NONE OF THE TFC WAS VISUALLY ACQUIRED UNTIL 'CLR OF CONFLICT' WAS ADVISED. BOTH PLTS SPENT A LOT OF TIME SCANNING BACK AND FORTH BTWN CRT'S AND OUTSIDE FOR RPTED (BY TCASII) TFC.

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.