Narrative:

We were on radar vectors to a visual approach to runway 34R sea on step-down descent from 9000-6000 ft heading 270 degrees. Passing heading 230 degrees, we called traffic at 11-12 O'clock, TCASII showed traffic at 6000 ft. We were out of 6500 ft, descending! Approach control told us to maintain 6500 ft. We were at 6300 ft. Air carrier X traffic passed 300 ft below and less than 1000 ft to the left of us. We received RA 'don't descend' followed by second RA 'don't climb' because of 7000 ft traffic above us. While the RA's were going off, approach gave us a right turn to heading 010 degrees to intercept runway 34R visual. In my opinion, there were 2 causes to the problem: 1) early on, approach controller became involved in lengthy conversation with light aircraft and did not foresee the developing problem, then tried to dig her way out with all the heading changes. 2) air carrier X was cleared for a visual to runway 34L. They then proceeded across the final for runway 34L and runway 34R and did not descend at all. All in all, I do not think 6300-6500 ft is the place to practice steep turns to avoid traffic at 6000 ft and 7000 ft. This was the first for-real RA I have seen since system was installed and the second RA was only 5 seconds later.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT WAS CONFUSED BY TCASII INSTRUCTIONS. HE RECEIVED COMMANDS BOTH 'DON'T CLB' AND 'DON'T DSND' WHILE BEING SANDWICHED BTWN 2 ACFT.

Narrative: WE WERE ON RADAR VECTORS TO A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 34R SEA ON STEP-DOWN DSCNT FROM 9000-6000 FT HDG 270 DEGS. PASSING HDG 230 DEGS, WE CALLED TFC AT 11-12 O'CLOCK, TCASII SHOWED TFC AT 6000 FT. WE WERE OUT OF 6500 FT, DSNDING! APCH CTL TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 6500 FT. WE WERE AT 6300 FT. ACR X TFC PASSED 300 FT BELOW AND LESS THAN 1000 FT TO THE L OF US. WE RECEIVED RA 'DON'T DSND' FOLLOWED BY SECOND RA 'DON'T CLB' BECAUSE OF 7000 FT TFC ABOVE US. WHILE THE RA'S WERE GOING OFF, APCH GAVE US A R TURN TO HDG 010 DEGS TO INTERCEPT RWY 34R VISUAL. IN MY OPINION, THERE WERE 2 CAUSES TO THE PROB: 1) EARLY ON, APCH CTLR BECAME INVOLVED IN LENGTHY CONVERSATION WITH LIGHT ACFT AND DID NOT FORESEE THE DEVELOPING PROB, THEN TRIED TO DIG HER WAY OUT WITH ALL THE HDG CHANGES. 2) ACR X WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 34L. THEY THEN PROCEEDED ACROSS THE FINAL FOR RWY 34L AND RWY 34R AND DID NOT DSND AT ALL. ALL IN ALL, I DO NOT THINK 6300-6500 FT IS THE PLACE TO PRACTICE STEEP TURNS TO AVOID TFC AT 6000 FT AND 7000 FT. THIS WAS THE FIRST FOR-REAL RA I HAVE SEEN SINCE SYS WAS INSTALLED AND THE SECOND RA WAS ONLY 5 SECONDS LATER.

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.