Narrative:

During high drag, high rate of descent into ont (due to ATC leaving us high on approach), we were given a TA by ATC and spotted the traffic immediately. We were given a TA by TCASII. We were almost immediately given another TA by ATC followed again by TCASII TA approximately 10 O'clock 400 below in level flight. We were searching for the traffic and, due to the ease of finding the first target, did not feel he would be hard to spot. We could not gain visual contact with the target. We were given a 'monitor vertical speed' alert by TCASII at the same time told to level at an altitude we had already passed by ATC. TCASII gave a 'descend' RA at about our descent rate then a 'climb' RA. It was apparent that TCASII could not resolve the situation and was falsely directing us. ATC gave us a turn and the first officer, who was flying, rolled into a right turn. I didn't care for the slow response, so I assisted him in making a steeper banked turn. At about the same time, the target rolled into a slight turn making him visible. The TCASII and ATC were pumping so much information to us we were basically overloaded and reluctant to look into the cockpit at the electronic gadget (TCASII) that kept changing its mind. We reverted to basic survival instincts by gluing our heads to the windshield. The aircraft, when spotted, turned out to be a small, experimental white aircraft, hard to spot. Our high drag confign made our aircraft hard to maneuver in the vertical as directed by TCASII. ATC gave us the best information to 'turn right,' something TCASII cannot do.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MLG ACR CREW HAD A TCASII OVERLOAD THAT CREATED GREAT CONFUSION IN A TFC SITUATION.

Narrative: DURING HIGH DRAG, HIGH RATE OF DSCNT INTO ONT (DUE TO ATC LEAVING US HIGH ON APCH), WE WERE GIVEN A TA BY ATC AND SPOTTED THE TFC IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE GIVEN A TA BY TCASII. WE WERE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY GIVEN ANOTHER TA BY ATC FOLLOWED AGAIN BY TCASII TA APPROX 10 O'CLOCK 400 BELOW IN LEVEL FLT. WE WERE SEARCHING FOR THE TFC AND, DUE TO THE EASE OF FINDING THE FIRST TARGET, DID NOT FEEL HE WOULD BE HARD TO SPOT. WE COULD NOT GAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TARGET. WE WERE GIVEN A 'MONITOR VERT SPD' ALERT BY TCASII AT THE SAME TIME TOLD TO LEVEL AT AN ALT WE HAD ALREADY PASSED BY ATC. TCASII GAVE A 'DSND' RA AT ABOUT OUR DSCNT RATE THEN A 'CLB' RA. IT WAS APPARENT THAT TCASII COULD NOT RESOLVE THE SITUATION AND WAS FALSELY DIRECTING US. ATC GAVE US A TURN AND THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING, ROLLED INTO A R TURN. I DIDN'T CARE FOR THE SLOW RESPONSE, SO I ASSISTED HIM IN MAKING A STEEPER BANKED TURN. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE TARGET ROLLED INTO A SLIGHT TURN MAKING HIM VISIBLE. THE TCASII AND ATC WERE PUMPING SO MUCH INFO TO US WE WERE BASICALLY OVERLOADED AND RELUCTANT TO LOOK INTO THE COCKPIT AT THE ELECTRONIC GADGET (TCASII) THAT KEPT CHANGING ITS MIND. WE REVERTED TO BASIC SURVIVAL INSTINCTS BY GLUING OUR HEADS TO THE WINDSHIELD. THE ACFT, WHEN SPOTTED, TURNED OUT TO BE A SMALL, EXPERIMENTAL WHITE ACFT, HARD TO SPOT. OUR HIGH DRAG CONFIGN MADE OUR ACFT HARD TO MANEUVER IN THE VERT AS DIRECTED BY TCASII. ATC GAVE US THE BEST INFO TO 'TURN R,' SOMETHING TCASII CANNOT DO.

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.