Narrative:

Departed orf with clearance to climb runway heading to 4000 ft. Switched to departure control. Controller called out 4000 ft orbiting aircraft 10-100 O'clock a few mi away. Then, passing 2800 ft, controller issued turn to 270 degrees. While in turn, controller called out 5000 ft air carrier traffic and 3500 ft VFR maneuvering aircraft. Controller also called out 4500 ft VFR maneuvering aircraft. Passing 3900 and leveling (heading 270 degrees), TCASII stated 'monitor vertical speed' (green band approximately 0-200 ft) (climbing 200-400 FPM). As we leveled at 4000 ft, TCASII stated 'descend, descend, descend.' (first officer thought red square showed plus 4) -- started descent. As vvi showed about 1000 FPM descent, another RA stated, 'climb, climb, climb' -- power added as we bottomed out at approximately 3600 ft. Shortly thereafter, TCASII stated 'increase climb.' soon after that, all warnings advisories ceased as we leveled at 4000 ft. First officer saw traffic at about 3500 ft out right side of aircraft about 1/4 - 1/2 mi away -- was red and white small aircraft in a left bank. Notified controller we were deviating from cleared altitude because of TCASII RA's. He said if we would stay at 4000 ft, we would miss all potentially conflicting traffic. No other abnormalities the rest of the flight. 2 thoughts: 1) TCASII, I believe, in this instance, was more of a hindrance than a help. 2) there was too much information presented to be processed in the time available. I relied on a) scanning outside aircraft, B) the aural TCASII cues and C) a quick xchk of vvi to see where the red and green rings were. I did feel I had the time to analyze all the colored, shaped, and numbered data available on the vvi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON INITIAL CLB HAS TCASII RA, RESPONDS. ALTDEV.

Narrative: DEPARTED ORF WITH CLRNC TO CLB RWY HDG TO 4000 FT. SWITCHED TO DEP CTL. CTLR CALLED OUT 4000 FT ORBITING ACFT 10-100 O'CLOCK A FEW MI AWAY. THEN, PASSING 2800 FT, CTLR ISSUED TURN TO 270 DEGS. WHILE IN TURN, CTLR CALLED OUT 5000 FT ACR TFC AND 3500 FT VFR MANEUVERING ACFT. CTLR ALSO CALLED OUT 4500 FT VFR MANEUVERING ACFT. PASSING 3900 AND LEVELING (HDG 270 DEGS), TCASII STATED 'MONITOR VERT SPD' (GREEN BAND APPROX 0-200 FT) (CLBING 200-400 FPM). AS WE LEVELED AT 4000 FT, TCASII STATED 'DSND, DSND, DSND.' (FO THOUGHT RED SQUARE SHOWED PLUS 4) -- STARTED DSCNT. AS VVI SHOWED ABOUT 1000 FPM DSCNT, ANOTHER RA STATED, 'CLB, CLB, CLB' -- PWR ADDED AS WE BOTTOMED OUT AT APPROX 3600 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, TCASII STATED 'INCREASE CLB.' SOON AFTER THAT, ALL WARNINGS ADVISORIES CEASED AS WE LEVELED AT 4000 FT. FO SAW TFC AT ABOUT 3500 FT OUT R SIDE OF ACFT ABOUT 1/4 - 1/2 MI AWAY -- WAS RED AND WHITE SMA IN A L BANK. NOTIFIED CTLR WE WERE DEVIATING FROM CLRED ALT BECAUSE OF TCASII RA'S. HE SAID IF WE WOULD STAY AT 4000 FT, WE WOULD MISS ALL POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING TFC. NO OTHER ABNORMALITIES THE REST OF THE FLT. 2 THOUGHTS: 1) TCASII, I BELIEVE, IN THIS INSTANCE, WAS MORE OF A HINDRANCE THAN A HELP. 2) THERE WAS TOO MUCH INFO PRESENTED TO BE PROCESSED IN THE TIME AVAILABLE. I RELIED ON A) SCANNING OUTSIDE ACFT, B) THE AURAL TCASII CUES AND C) A QUICK XCHK OF VVI TO SEE WHERE THE RED AND GREEN RINGS WERE. I DID FEEL I HAD THE TIME TO ANALYZE ALL THE COLORED, SHAPED, AND NUMBERED DATA AVAILABLE ON THE VVI.

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.