Altitude deviation altitude excursion as flight crew responds to TCASII RA. False warning.

Attributes
ACN	217358
Time
Date	199208
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : roc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v2
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	217358
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	217483
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 11000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The TCASII suddenly announced 'climb, climb' while the vsi's lit up red indicating a roc greater than 2000 FPM should be initiated. This was not preceded by a TA, but since we had the radar on the screen, (TCASII and radar share the same screen) we did not have a visual picture of what the RA was about. I disconnected the autoplt and began a climb. I simultaneously told the first officer to notify ATC and pressed the button to display the TCASII information on the screen. It showed traffic at our altitude (16000) at our 9:30 position and less than 2 mi. At this time we broke out of the cloud we were in and did not see any traffic in that area, and the image disappeared from TCASII. Center advised us that he had no other traffic in the area except at 6000 ft and that our altitude deviation was not a problem and to maintain 16000 ft. The image reappeared on the TCASII again as a yellow TA for just a moment. The highest altitude noted on the altimeter was 16350 ft while center said he had us at 16500 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION AS FLC RESPONDS TO TCASII RA. FALSE WARNING.

Narrative: THE TCASII SUDDENLY ANNOUNCED 'CLB, CLB' WHILE THE VSI'S LIT UP RED INDICATING A ROC GREATER THAN 2000 FPM SHOULD BE INITIATED. THIS WAS NOT PRECEDED BY A TA, BUT SINCE WE HAD THE RADAR ON THE SCREEN, (TCASII AND RADAR SHARE THE SAME SCREEN) WE DID NOT HAVE A VISUAL PICTURE OF WHAT THE RA WAS ABOUT. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND BEGAN A CLB. I SIMULTANEOUSLY TOLD THE FO TO NOTIFY ATC AND PRESSED THE BUTTON TO DISPLAY THE TCASII INFO ON THE SCREEN. IT SHOWED TFC AT OUR ALT (16000) AT OUR 9:30 POS AND LESS THAN 2 MI. AT THIS TIME WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUD WE WERE IN AND DID NOT SEE ANY TFC IN THAT AREA, AND THE IMAGE DISAPPEARED FROM TCASII. CTR ADVISED US THAT HE HAD NO OTHER TFC IN THE AREA EXCEPT AT 6000 FT AND THAT OUR ALTDEV WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND TO MAINTAIN 16000 FT. THE IMAGE REAPPEARED ON THE TCASII AGAIN AS A YELLOW TA FOR JUST A MOMENT. THE HIGHEST ALT NOTED ON THE ALTIMETER WAS 16350 FT WHILE CTR SAID HE HAD US AT 16500 FT.

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.