Narrative:

PF new A320 captain. PNF standards captain conducting IOE. ATC had kept our flight high, relative to a normal descent profile to final. Prior to the incident, we had been cleared to the localizer 27 approach, to intercept the localizer at or above 3800 ft. Established on the localizer, we continued descent towards 2000 ft, a TA from TCASII activated and PNF called 'TA at 9:30 O'clock position, 700 ft below and level.' the TA very soon progressed to a RA commanding a climb. The standards captain made verbal inputs supporting the aural TCASII climb commands, and the PF initiated a climb from approximately 2600- 3000 ft (exact altitude not determined). The change of flight path was appropriately somewhat abrupt, but the RA stopped almost immediately. The intruder aircraft, a high wing cessna, was visible to the left seat pilot during the RA climb (11 O'clock low) and was visible to the right seat pilot later (from 12 O'clock low until beyond the right wing). A dead-heading pilot in the cabin saw the aircraft pass off the right side. There was no apparent alteration to the cessna's flight path. Both crew members estimate closest proximity to our aircraft to be 1/4 mi laterally and 300 ft vertical below. After climbing to approximately 3000 ft, a descent was resumed to a stabilized approach profile prior to 1000 ft AGL. During the abrupt pull-up some galley supplies were broken, but no injuries occurred. Seatbelt sign was on. This traffic conflict could have been resolved more efficiently if the RA command had been carried out immediately, or if ATC had notified us of traffic in the vicinity. The current software in the A320 TCASII does not display traffic until a TA is generated. It is my understanding that this will be changed in the near future. A contributing factor also was the sunlight washing out the visual RA display. Also the new captain receiving training had never seen this RA display in a flight simulator or the aircraft. The TCASII training was accomplished using a computer terminal with simulated displays. Aircraft simulators used in training had no TCASII display for training. The flight crew did not immediately notify ATC of the encounter, this should have been done to aid in investigating the encounter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EVASIVE ACTION CLB BY A A-320 CREW IN RESPONSE TO TCASII RA DURING IAP LOC APCH INTO SAN. POTENTIAL CONFLICT EXPERIENCED.

Narrative: PF NEW A320 CAPT. PNF STANDARDS CAPT CONDUCTING IOE. ATC HAD KEPT OUR FLT HIGH, RELATIVE TO A NORMAL DSCNT PROFILE TO FINAL. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO THE LOC 27 APCH, TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AT OR ABOVE 3800 FT. ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC, WE CONTINUED DSCNT TOWARDS 2000 FT, A TA FROM TCASII ACTIVATED AND PNF CALLED 'TA AT 9:30 O'CLOCK POS, 700 FT BELOW AND LEVEL.' THE TA VERY SOON PROGRESSED TO A RA COMMANDING A CLB. THE STANDARDS CAPT MADE VERBAL INPUTS SUPPORTING THE AURAL TCASII CLB COMMANDS, AND THE PF INITIATED A CLB FROM APPROX 2600- 3000 FT (EXACT ALT NOT DETERMINED). THE CHANGE OF FLT PATH WAS APPROPRIATELY SOMEWHAT ABRUPT, BUT THE RA STOPPED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THE INTRUDER ACFT, A HIGH WING CESSNA, WAS VISIBLE TO THE L SEAT PLT DURING THE RA CLB (11 O'CLOCK LOW) AND WAS VISIBLE TO THE R SEAT PLT LATER (FROM 12 O'CLOCK LOW UNTIL BEYOND THE R WING). A DEAD-HEADING PLT IN THE CABIN SAW THE ACFT PASS OFF THE R SIDE. THERE WAS NO APPARENT ALTERATION TO THE CESSNA'S FLT PATH. BOTH CREW MEMBERS ESTIMATE CLOSEST PROX TO OUR ACFT TO BE 1/4 MI LATERALLY AND 300 FT VERT BELOW. AFTER CLBING TO APPROX 3000 FT, A DSCNT WAS RESUMED TO A STABILIZED APCH PROFILE PRIOR TO 1000 FT AGL. DURING THE ABRUPT PULL-UP SOME GALLEY SUPPLIES WERE BROKEN, BUT NO INJURIES OCCURRED. SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON. THIS TFC CONFLICT COULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED MORE EFFICIENTLY IF THE RA COMMAND HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT IMMEDIATELY, OR IF ATC HAD NOTIFIED US OF TFC IN THE VICINITY. THE CURRENT SOFTWARE IN THE A320 TCASII DOES NOT DISPLAY TFC UNTIL A TA IS GENERATED. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS WILL BE CHANGED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR ALSO WAS THE SUNLIGHT WASHING OUT THE VISUAL RA DISPLAY. ALSO THE NEW CAPT RECEIVING TRAINING HAD NEVER SEEN THIS RA DISPLAY IN A FLT SIMULATOR OR THE ACFT. THE TCASII TRAINING WAS ACCOMPLISHED USING A COMPUTER TERMINAL WITH SIMULATED DISPLAYS. ACFT SIMULATORS USED IN TRAINING HAD NO TCASII DISPLAY FOR TRAINING. THE FLC DID NOT IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY ATC OF THE ENCOUNTER, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO AID IN INVESTIGATING THE ENCOUNTER.

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.