Altitude heading track deviation altitude excursion.

Attributes
ACN	246960
Time
Date	199307
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ard
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : phl
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 220
ASRS Report	246960
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was the PF. We were level at 5000 ft northeast of yardley VOR. We got a TA/RA on the TCASII with traffic 400 ft below at approximately our 11 O'clock position. I was trying to get a visual on the traffic when the captain took the airplane from my control and climbed to 5500 ft in a right turn away from the traffic which we had not acquired visually. As he took this evasive action, I notified ATC of our intentions. The controller did not hear my transmission apparently. There was never any confirmation of the traffic or how close we actually came. I had no time to stop the captain's reaction. All I could do was try to notify ATC. I was not going to wrestle for control of the airplane. In the future I will discuss preventive action in our preflight briefing to try to avoid such dangerous altitude deviations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT HDG TRACK DEV ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF. WE WERE LEVEL AT 5000 FT NE OF YARDLEY VOR. WE GOT A TA/RA ON THE TCASII WITH TFC 400 FT BELOW AT APPROX OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS. I WAS TRYING TO GET A VISUAL ON THE TFC WHEN THE CAPT TOOK THE AIRPLANE FROM MY CTL AND CLBED TO 5500 FT IN A R TURN AWAY FROM THE TFC WHICH WE HAD NOT ACQUIRED VISUALLY. AS HE TOOK THIS EVASIVE ACTION, I NOTIFIED ATC OF OUR INTENTIONS. THE CTLR DID NOT HEAR MY XMISSION APPARENTLY. THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONFIRMATION OF THE TFC OR HOW CLOSE WE ACTUALLY CAME. I HAD NO TIME TO STOP THE CAPT'S REACTION. ALL I COULD DO WAS TRY TO NOTIFY ATC. I WAS NOT GOING TO WRESTLE FOR CTL OF THE AIRPLANE. IN THE FUTURE I WILL DISCUSS PREVENTIVE ACTION IN OUR PREFLT BRIEFING TO TRY TO AVOID SUCH DANGEROUS ALT DEVS.

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.