Large transport has TCASII TA in IMC. Indicates close proximity but no RA.

Attributes
ACN	265216
Time
Date	199403
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	265216
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

An airbus 320 was on final approach to dca runway 36. The crew was in IMC conditions influenced by a strong easterly wind flow at the time of the occurrence. Aircraft X was following another aircraft to the airport. An aircraft was taken off the approach by the approach controller due to an impending separation conflict. Aircraft X was told to contact dca tower. After approximately 30 seconds with the tower, dca tower broke aircraft X off the final approach course due to another impending separation conflict. Tower gave aircraft X a turn to 270 degrees and handed them off to departure control. Departure gave aircraft X a turn to 160 degrees which established the aircraft on downwind at 3000 ft MSL. The crew observed a TA on the TCASII to be just outside of the TCASII 10 mi range. The intruder appeared at 11 O'clock, 900 ft above their altitude and descending. Departure was queried about any traffic in the area. There was no response from ATC. A second query was made to ATC, again, no response. At that time, the crew observed the TA touch the TCASII symbolic aircraft's left wing. The last observed altitude readout on the intruder was 200 ft and descending. Departure then gave aircraft X a turn to 270 degrees followed by a turn back onto final. The crew then made an uneventful landing at dca. Upon arriving at the gate at dca the crew called the dca approach control facility. The crew was told to call back later. When the crew called back later, they spoke with mr. A, supervisor, ATC dca approach control. Mr. A informed captain that he had already spoken with ATC quality control personnel and that there had not been a conflict. Mr. A indicated that the 'snitch' system had not given an alarm during the time of the occurrence. Mr. A indicated that the TCASII observed traffic was a dhc-8 operating under ATC control. Captain requested that ATC 'pull the tapes.' captain notified company through the secretary for A320 fleet manager. Subsequently, captain made contact with fleet manager and expressed his concern over not only the near miss, but the lack of the A320's TCASII system to provide an RA during the occurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT HAS TCASII TA IN IMC. INDICATES CLOSE PROX BUT NO RA.

Narrative: AN AIRBUS 320 WAS ON FINAL APCH TO DCA RWY 36. THE CREW WAS IN IMC CONDITIONS INFLUENCED BY A STRONG EASTERLY WIND FLOW AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. ACFT X WAS FOLLOWING ANOTHER ACFT TO THE ARPT. AN ACFT WAS TAKEN OFF THE APCH BY THE APCH CTLR DUE TO AN IMPENDING SEPARATION CONFLICT. ACFT X WAS TOLD TO CONTACT DCA TWR. AFTER APPROX 30 SECONDS WITH THE TWR, DCA TWR BROKE ACFT X OFF THE FINAL APCH COURSE DUE TO ANOTHER IMPENDING SEPARATION CONFLICT. TWR GAVE ACFT X A TURN TO 270 DEGS AND HANDED THEM OFF TO DEP CTL. DEP GAVE ACFT X A TURN TO 160 DEGS WHICH ESTABLISHED THE ACFT ON DOWNWIND AT 3000 FT MSL. THE CREW OBSERVED A TA ON THE TCASII TO BE JUST OUTSIDE OF THE TCASII 10 MI RANGE. THE INTRUDER APPEARED AT 11 O'CLOCK, 900 FT ABOVE THEIR ALT AND DSNDING. DEP WAS QUERIED ABOUT ANY TFC IN THE AREA. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM ATC. A SECOND QUERY WAS MADE TO ATC, AGAIN, NO RESPONSE. AT THAT TIME, THE CREW OBSERVED THE TA TOUCH THE TCASII SYMBOLIC ACFT'S L WING. THE LAST OBSERVED ALT READOUT ON THE INTRUDER WAS 200 FT AND DSNDING. DEP THEN GAVE ACFT X A TURN TO 270 DEGS FOLLOWED BY A TURN BACK ONTO FINAL. THE CREW THEN MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT DCA. UPON ARRIVING AT THE GATE AT DCA THE CREW CALLED THE DCA APCH CTL FACILITY. THE CREW WAS TOLD TO CALL BACK LATER. WHEN THE CREW CALLED BACK LATER, THEY SPOKE WITH MR. A, SUPVR, ATC DCA APCH CTL. MR. A INFORMED CAPT THAT HE HAD ALREADY SPOKEN WITH ATC QUALITY CTL PERSONNEL AND THAT THERE HAD NOT BEEN A CONFLICT. MR. A INDICATED THAT THE 'SNITCH' SYS HAD NOT GIVEN AN ALARM DURING THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. MR. A INDICATED THAT THE TCASII OBSERVED TFC WAS A DHC-8 OPERATING UNDER ATC CTL. CAPT REQUESTED THAT ATC 'PULL THE TAPES.' CAPT NOTIFIED COMPANY THROUGH THE SECRETARY FOR A320 FLEET MGR. SUBSEQUENTLY, CAPT MADE CONTACT WITH FLEET MGR AND EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN OVER NOT ONLY THE NEAR MISS, BUT THE LACK OF THE A320'S TCASII SYS TO PROVIDE AN RA DURING THE OCCURRENCE.

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.