TCASII RA on initial climb.

Attributes
ACN	254268
Time
Date	199310
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem tower : mugm
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 420
ASRS Report	254268
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	254413
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 9000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Takeoff to south at mem, following an medium large transport about 3 mi ahead. At 1000 ft altitude, tower asked if we had medium large transport in sight. We did and affirmed this. Tower stated, 'turn left to north, keep medium large transport in sight turning north.' we started left turn inside of medium large transport which had gone about 5 mi southeast of airport. Because we were very light weight we were climbing at about 3000 FPM. Tower then said, 'contact departure.' on changing to departure, he sounded surprised at our call, and then instructed us to stop turn at 070 degree heading. At this point we were at about 4000 ft. At this point we realized that the medium large transport now was heading due north, directly toward us. At this point the TCASII RA occurred instructing us to descend at 2000 FPM. We did so and missed medium large transport by about 500 ft vertically and 1 1/2 - 2 mi horizontally. We discussed the situation with controller and he said he was on landline when handoff occurred and didn't realize tower had told us to fly north. Had we continued turning north, conflict would not have occurred. The entire incident was apparently a breakdown in communication. Additionally, I feel had we continued climbing we would not have conflicted with medium large transport, however, TCASII thought otherwise and that is not the time to question it. The system did work!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII RA ON INITIAL CLB.

Narrative: TKOF TO S AT MEM, FOLLOWING AN MLG ABOUT 3 MI AHEAD. AT 1000 FT ALT, TWR ASKED IF WE HAD MLG IN SIGHT. WE DID AND AFFIRMED THIS. TWR STATED, 'TURN L TO N, KEEP MLG IN SIGHT TURNING N.' WE STARTED L TURN INSIDE OF MLG WHICH HAD GONE ABOUT 5 MI SE OF ARPT. BECAUSE WE WERE VERY LIGHT WT WE WERE CLBING AT ABOUT 3000 FPM. TWR THEN SAID, 'CONTACT DEP.' ON CHANGING TO DEP, HE SOUNDED SURPRISED AT OUR CALL, AND THEN INSTRUCTED US TO STOP TURN AT 070 DEG HDG. AT THIS POINT WE WERE AT ABOUT 4000 FT. AT THIS POINT WE REALIZED THAT THE MLG NOW WAS HDG DUE N, DIRECTLY TOWARD US. AT THIS POINT THE TCASII RA OCCURRED INSTRUCTING US TO DSND AT 2000 FPM. WE DID SO AND MISSED MLG BY ABOUT 500 FT VERTICALLY AND 1 1/2 - 2 MI HORIZLY. WE DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH CTLR AND HE SAID HE WAS ON LANDLINE WHEN HDOF OCCURRED AND DIDN'T REALIZE TWR HAD TOLD US TO FLY N. HAD WE CONTINUED TURNING N, CONFLICT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. THE ENTIRE INCIDENT WAS APPARENTLY A BREAKDOWN IN COM. ADDITIONALLY, I FEEL HAD WE CONTINUED CLBING WE WOULD NOT HAVE CONFLICTED WITH MLG, HOWEVER, TCASII THOUGHT OTHERWISE AND THAT IS NOT THE TIME TO QUESTION IT. THE SYS DID WORK!

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.