Widebody transport on initial climb has near midair collision with small aircraft. TCASII RA.

Attributes
ACN	221032
Time
Date	199209
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2650 msl bound upper : 2650
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10800 flight time type : 850
ASRS Report	221032
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 150 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A scheduled widebody transport flight departed runway 9L at phl. Flight departed straight out. Either local controller or departure gave us a clearance to fly runway heading to 3000 ft then turn left to a northeasterly heading. I was performing the after takeoff checklist at the time, but I believe the heading was 030 degrees. At approximately 2500 ft MSL, the TCASII warning sounded 'traffic, traffic reduce climb, traffic, traffic, reduce climb.' the RA alert had also illuminated the ivsi and showed a descent. The first officer was flying. The captain and I both looked to our left and saw a small aircraft off our left wing and slightly above us. The rate of climb was significantly decreased and we continued straight ahead. At the time we first saw the small aircraft, it was approximately 50 ft above our left wingtip and 100-150 ft to our left. I could see the occupants in the aircraft. The captain notified ATC that we were going to level off until we were clear of the traffic at which time we continued our climb and eventually turned to the assigned heading. The phl ATC said that they did not have the small aircraft on radar and they may not have had a target, but the TCASII worked as advertised and may have prevented a midair collision. In any case, it was much too close.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ON INITIAL CLB HAS NMAC WITH SMA. TCASII RA.

Narrative: A SCHEDULED WDB FLT DEPARTED RWY 9L AT PHL. FLT DEPARTED STRAIGHT OUT. EITHER LCL CTLR OR DEP GAVE US A CLRNC TO FLY RWY HDG TO 3000 FT THEN TURN L TO A NORTHEASTERLY HDG. I WAS PERFORMING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST AT THE TIME, BUT I BELIEVE THE HDG WAS 030 DEGS. AT APPROX 2500 FT MSL, THE TCASII WARNING SOUNDED 'TFC, TFC REDUCE CLB, TFC, TFC, REDUCE CLB.' THE RA ALERT HAD ALSO ILLUMINATED THE IVSI AND SHOWED A DSCNT. THE FO WAS FLYING. THE CAPT AND I BOTH LOOKED TO OUR L AND SAW A SMA OFF OUR L WING AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE US. THE RATE OF CLB WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AND WE CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD. AT THE TIME WE FIRST SAW THE SMA, IT WAS APPROX 50 FT ABOVE OUR L WINGTIP AND 100-150 FT TO OUR L. I COULD SEE THE OCCUPANTS IN THE ACFT. THE CAPT NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE WERE GOING TO LEVEL OFF UNTIL WE WERE CLR OF THE TFC AT WHICH TIME WE CONTINUED OUR CLB AND EVENTUALLY TURNED TO THE ASSIGNED HDG. THE PHL ATC SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE SMA ON RADAR AND THEY MAY NOT HAVE HAD A TARGET, BUT THE TCASII WORKED AS ADVERTISED AND MAY HAVE PREVENTED A MIDAIR COLLISION. IN ANY CASE, IT WAS MUCH TOO CLOSE.

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.