Near midair collision, traffic sighted visually.

Attributes
ACN	264821
Time
Date	199402
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cae
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9500 msl bound upper : 9500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : cae
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Beechcraft Twin Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5500
ASRS Report	264821
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : nmac non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On approach into cae at approximately 9500 ft MSL, I noticed traffic at our 10 O'clock position and less than 2 mi on a conflicting course with ours. I immediately maneuvered my aircraft to the right and slightly increased my descent to avoid the aircraft (blue/white beech baron). As I called approach control they advised of traffic 9-10 O'clock passing off our left. Our TCASII was operational and the only information we received was a 'traffic' call after we saw the aircraft and it was passing abeam approximately 500 ft away. We informed ATC of the encounter and they said the other aircraft had an intermittent transponder and the target was intermittent. Our lack of TCASII information and guidance would tend to support the idea of either an intermittent or unreliable transponder in the other aircraft. The entire event was over (i.e., aircraft passing safely off our left side) before we received any information from ATC or our TCASII. Visual pickup precluded a much more dangerous incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC, TFC SIGHTED VISUALLY.

Narrative: ON APCH INTO CAE AT APPROX 9500 FT MSL, I NOTICED TFC AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AND LESS THAN 2 MI ON A CONFLICTING COURSE WITH OURS. I IMMEDIATELY MANEUVERED MY ACFT TO THE R AND SLIGHTLY INCREASED MY DSCNT TO AVOID THE ACFT (BLUE/WHITE BEECH BARON). AS I CALLED APCH CTL THEY ADVISED OF TFC 9-10 O'CLOCK PASSING OFF OUR L. OUR TCASII WAS OPERATIONAL AND THE ONLY INFO WE RECEIVED WAS A 'TFC' CALL AFTER WE SAW THE ACFT AND IT WAS PASSING ABEAM APPROX 500 FT AWAY. WE INFORMED ATC OF THE ENCOUNTER AND THEY SAID THE OTHER ACFT HAD AN INTERMITTENT XPONDER AND THE TARGET WAS INTERMITTENT. OUR LACK OF TCASII INFO AND GUIDANCE WOULD TEND TO SUPPORT THE IDEA OF EITHER AN INTERMITTENT OR UNRELIABLE XPONDER IN THE OTHER ACFT. THE ENTIRE EVENT WAS OVER (I.E., ACFT PASSING SAFELY OFF OUR L SIDE) BEFORE WE RECEIVED ANY INFO FROM ATC OR OUR TCASII. VISUAL PICKUP PRECLUDED A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS INCIDENT.

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.