Narrative:

The purpose of this narrative is to share information. The issues of responsibility for what in an earlier time could have turned into an 'event' have been resolved and some good will has been created. We were flying a widebody transport aircraft into a major asian terminal area. The WX involved a frontal system with the tops FL350, with strong winds aloft and ground contact at about the final approach fix in heavy rain. The first officer was flying the aircraft and we were cleared to descend from 8000 to 5000 on our vector to final. At 6800 ft, we received a TCASII aural and visual TA. The vsi showed the traffic in the center of the screen at -08 and converging. Since we were descending through 6800 for 5000 ft the first officer arrested the descent and stayed at 6800 allowing us to determine that the other aircraft was staying at 6000 ft. About this time the expected new voice of the watch supervisor came on frequency and told us to maintain our current altitude and to turn right. There was a lot of other traffic for him to sort out and he did a good job of thinking on his feet. What is the point? The point is in what we were able to pick up about the logic of the TCASII system. That is, that there was no RA issued -- no nagging as in so many of the tools with which we deal. The only verbal message we received was the initial TA, and then the green band on the vsi once we arrested the vertical closure. Nice. I was not sure what I was going to hear when I called them on the phone. I asked him if it was pop-up traffic. This is where honesty comes in. Very disarming. He said it was their traffic at 6000 but off track and that he had us maintain our altitude to avoid the traffic (5 seconds silence on both sides). I then told him that I thought he did exactly the right thing, that I was happy with his choices under extreme pressure, and that, if it was ok with him, he would not be hearing from me or my company. With much relief we exchanged more conventional greetings and went about our business. I am certain that, within a very short time after our conversation, some very intensive 'education' was about to take place in that facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAS TCASII TA, LEVELS OFF.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THIS NARRATIVE IS TO SHARE INFO. THE ISSUES OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT IN AN EARLIER TIME COULD HAVE TURNED INTO AN 'EVENT' HAVE BEEN RESOLVED AND SOME GOOD WILL HAS BEEN CREATED. WE WERE FLYING A WDB ACFT INTO A MAJOR ASIAN TERMINAL AREA. THE WX INVOLVED A FRONTAL SYS WITH THE TOPS FL350, WITH STRONG WINDS ALOFT AND GND CONTACT AT ABOUT THE FINAL APCH FIX IN HVY RAIN. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND WE WERE CLRED TO DSND FROM 8000 TO 5000 ON OUR VECTOR TO FINAL. AT 6800 FT, WE RECEIVED A TCASII AURAL AND VISUAL TA. THE VSI SHOWED THE TFC IN THE CTR OF THE SCREEN AT -08 AND CONVERGING. SINCE WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 6800 FOR 5000 FT THE FO ARRESTED THE DSCNT AND STAYED AT 6800 ALLOWING US TO DETERMINE THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS STAYING AT 6000 FT. ABOUT THIS TIME THE EXPECTED NEW VOICE OF THE WATCH SUPVR CAME ON FREQ AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT ALT AND TO TURN R. THERE WAS A LOT OF OTHER TFC FOR HIM TO SORT OUT AND HE DID A GOOD JOB OF THINKING ON HIS FEET. WHAT IS THE POINT? THE POINT IS IN WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO PICK UP ABOUT THE LOGIC OF THE TCASII SYS. THAT IS, THAT THERE WAS NO RA ISSUED -- NO NAGGING AS IN SO MANY OF THE TOOLS WITH WHICH WE DEAL. THE ONLY VERBAL MESSAGE WE RECEIVED WAS THE INITIAL TA, AND THEN THE GREEN BAND ON THE VSI ONCE WE ARRESTED THE VERT CLOSURE. NICE. I WAS NOT SURE WHAT I WAS GOING TO HEAR WHEN I CALLED THEM ON THE PHONE. I ASKED HIM IF IT WAS POP-UP TFC. THIS IS WHERE HONESTY COMES IN. VERY DISARMING. HE SAID IT WAS THEIR TFC AT 6000 BUT OFF TRACK AND THAT HE HAD US MAINTAIN OUR ALT TO AVOID THE TFC (5 SECONDS SILENCE ON BOTH SIDES). I THEN TOLD HIM THAT I THOUGHT HE DID EXACTLY THE RIGHT THING, THAT I WAS HAPPY WITH HIS CHOICES UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE, AND THAT, IF IT WAS OK WITH HIM, HE WOULD NOT BE HEARING FROM ME OR MY COMPANY. WITH MUCH RELIEF WE EXCHANGED MORE CONVENTIONAL GREETINGS AND WENT ABOUT OUR BUSINESS. I AM CERTAIN THAT, WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME AFTER OUR CONVERSATION, SOME VERY INTENSIVE 'EDUCATION' WAS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE IN THAT FACILITY.

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.