Flight crew of an medium large transport air carrier aircraft stopped their visual approach descent in response to a TCASII RA.

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Attributes
ACN	258981
Time
Date	199312
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	258981
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

We were cleared for a visual to runway 17R at den. Our TCASII went off as we started our descent. ATC advised us of an small transport commuter going to runway 18 (on our right). He passed under us at 500 ft. We immediately stopped our descent. It took about 20 plus seconds to find the problem traffic and verify it. ATC was talking non-stop, which is normal at denver, so we couldn't tell him about the alert and our actions. TCASII works as advertised, but it can add confusion to an already busy regime (because it's too loud and verbose). There's a great big temptation to turn it off. The problem cold be alleviated by allowing a little more spacing into den and not allowing the commuters to pass under us. This is the third time this type of conflict has happened to me at den. The passenger in first class and those with headsets tuned to ATC can hear the TCASII commands. Their concerns prompt questions. My concern prompts questions about adequate spacing at denver.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT STOPPED THEIR VISUAL APCH DSCNT IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 17R AT DEN. OUR TCASII WENT OFF AS WE STARTED OUR DSCNT. ATC ADVISED US OF AN SMT COMMUTER GOING TO RWY 18 (ON OUR R). HE PASSED UNDER US AT 500 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED OUR DSCNT. IT TOOK ABOUT 20 PLUS SECONDS TO FIND THE PROB TFC AND VERIFY IT. ATC WAS TALKING NON-STOP, WHICH IS NORMAL AT DENVER, SO WE COULDN'T TELL HIM ABOUT THE ALERT AND OUR ACTIONS. TCASII WORKS AS ADVERTISED, BUT IT CAN ADD CONFUSION TO AN ALREADY BUSY REGIME (BECAUSE IT'S TOO LOUD AND VERBOSE). THERE'S A GREAT BIG TEMPTATION TO TURN IT OFF. THE PROB COLD BE ALLEVIATED BY ALLOWING A LITTLE MORE SPACING INTO DEN AND NOT ALLOWING THE COMMUTERS TO PASS UNDER US. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS TYPE OF CONFLICT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT DEN. THE PAX IN FIRST CLASS AND THOSE WITH HEADSETS TUNED TO ATC CAN HEAR THE TCASII COMMANDS. THEIR CONCERNS PROMPT QUESTIONS. MY CONCERN PROMPTS QUESTIONS ABOUT ADEQUATE SPACING AT DENVER.

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.