Narrative:

Descending into paris with a descent clearance to 13000 ft. At about 19000 ft our TCASII gave us an RA to climb at a min rate of 2000 FPM. We initiated a climb, and as we did so, we were able to see the other aircraft at about the 5 O'clock position and 2 mi and 300 ft above us in level flight. We continued climb at 2000 FPM until the TCASII RA went away at which time the other aircraft was shown to be 100 ft below us and disappearing from the TCASII display. We notified paris control of our climb and the traffic we climbed to avoid. Paris acknowledged and said the traffic was 300 ft above us. This was a potentially very serious near miss. 1) european controllers seldom point out conflicting traffic. Had we known his bearing and altitude, we wouldn't have initiated a climb. 2) TCASII commanded a climb into traffic that was apparently in level flight, even though we had just descended through his altitude. 3) by following our TCASII RA, we actually decreased the separation with the traffic. 4) we deviated from our ATC clearance to avoid the traffic and european ATC control does not allow a deviation to satisfy a TCASII RA. We did not declare an emergency in order to prevent certificate action by the french controller, however, we do not expect a violation to be filed against us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII WITH A FALSE ALARM CAUSED A WDB ACR TO CLB THROUGH THE ALT OF A NEARBY ACFT.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO PARIS WITH A DSCNT CLRNC TO 13000 FT. AT ABOUT 19000 FT OUR TCASII GAVE US AN RA TO CLB AT A MIN RATE OF 2000 FPM. WE INITIATED A CLB, AND AS WE DID SO, WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THE OTHER ACFT AT ABOUT THE 5 O'CLOCK POS AND 2 MI AND 300 FT ABOVE US IN LEVEL FLT. WE CONTINUED CLB AT 2000 FPM UNTIL THE TCASII RA WENT AWAY AT WHICH TIME THE OTHER ACFT WAS SHOWN TO BE 100 FT BELOW US AND DISAPPEARING FROM THE TCASII DISPLAY. WE NOTIFIED PARIS CTL OF OUR CLB AND THE TFC WE CLBED TO AVOID. PARIS ACKNOWLEDGED AND SAID THE TFC WAS 300 FT ABOVE US. THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY VERY SERIOUS NEAR MISS. 1) EUROPEAN CTLRS SELDOM POINT OUT CONFLICTING TFC. HAD WE KNOWN HIS BEARING AND ALT, WE WOULDN'T HAVE INITIATED A CLB. 2) TCASII COMMANDED A CLB INTO TFC THAT WAS APPARENTLY IN LEVEL FLT, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD JUST DSNDED THROUGH HIS ALT. 3) BY FOLLOWING OUR TCASII RA, WE ACTUALLY DECREASED THE SEPARATION WITH THE TFC. 4) WE DEVIATED FROM OUR ATC CLRNC TO AVOID THE TFC AND EUROPEAN ATC CTL DOES NOT ALLOW A DEV TO SATISFY A TCASII RA. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER IN ORDER TO PREVENT CERTIFICATE ACTION BY THE FRENCH CTLR, HOWEVER, WE DO NOT EXPECT A VIOLATION TO BE FILED AGAINST US.

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.