Potential conflict sensed by TCASII TA then RA. PIC loses his 'cool.'

Attributes
ACN	272192
Time
Date	199405
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : mdw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	272192
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

The captain instructed me to level off at 2000 ft. Our heading was 130 degrees assigned by tower. The leveloff was for traffic he saw on TCASII. Shortly after that we got an RA instructing us to do the same. The traffic was never pointed out to us by tower or departure. After the traffic was clear we climbed to 3000 ft, the captain got mad and started talking to departure about the traffic. Departure apologized for mdw tower and said this has been happening a lot there. He made many unusual comments about the poor performance of mdw of late. The captain got madder and said he was off to talk to mdw tower, but he switched the #1 radio to tower leaving departure without permission. For a time I thought he was talking to tower on #2. Mdw tower said the VFR traffic had us in sight. The captain got madder, then he said he was back on, then a few seconds later he said he was off again to talk to company. This time he did use the #2 radio to complain to them. When he did this he didn't switch back to departure on #1. I didn't realize this until tower called to tell us to switch back to departure. The captain's actions during this incident were deplorable. Conflicting traffic should see each other or be provided with separation by ATC. As air carrier pilots we are responsible for many lives and it is wrong for the FAA to provide visual separation based on only 1 aircraft seeing the other. What if it were a student pilot or a pilot with very little experience who did not know how to get out of our way?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT SENSED BY TCASII TA THEN RA. PIC LOSES HIS 'COOL.'

Narrative: THE CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO LEVEL OFF AT 2000 FT. OUR HDG WAS 130 DEGS ASSIGNED BY TWR. THE LEVELOFF WAS FOR TFC HE SAW ON TCASII. SHORTLY AFTER THAT WE GOT AN RA INSTRUCTING US TO DO THE SAME. THE TFC WAS NEVER POINTED OUT TO US BY TWR OR DEP. AFTER THE TFC WAS CLR WE CLBED TO 3000 FT, THE CAPT GOT MAD AND STARTED TALKING TO DEP ABOUT THE TFC. DEP APOLOGIZED FOR MDW TWR AND SAID THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT THERE. HE MADE MANY UNUSUAL COMMENTS ABOUT THE POOR PERFORMANCE OF MDW OF LATE. THE CAPT GOT MADDER AND SAID HE WAS OFF TO TALK TO MDW TWR, BUT HE SWITCHED THE #1 RADIO TO TWR LEAVING DEP WITHOUT PERMISSION. FOR A TIME I THOUGHT HE WAS TALKING TO TWR ON #2. MDW TWR SAID THE VFR TFC HAD US IN SIGHT. THE CAPT GOT MADDER, THEN HE SAID HE WAS BACK ON, THEN A FEW SECONDS LATER HE SAID HE WAS OFF AGAIN TO TALK TO COMPANY. THIS TIME HE DID USE THE #2 RADIO TO COMPLAIN TO THEM. WHEN HE DID THIS HE DIDN'T SWITCH BACK TO DEP ON #1. I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS UNTIL TWR CALLED TO TELL US TO SWITCH BACK TO DEP. THE CAPT'S ACTIONS DURING THIS INCIDENT WERE DEPLORABLE. CONFLICTING TFC SHOULD SEE EACH OTHER OR BE PROVIDED WITH SEPARATION BY ATC. AS ACR PLTS WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY LIVES AND IT IS WRONG FOR THE FAA TO PROVIDE VISUAL SEPARATION BASED ON ONLY 1 ACFT SEEING THE OTHER. WHAT IF IT WERE A STUDENT PLT OR A PLT WITH VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE WHO DID NOT KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF OUR WAY?

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.