Flight crew of a large transport climbed from assign-altitude in response to a TCASII RA.

Attributes
ACN	276937
Time
Date	199407
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33400
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zla
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	276937
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 1500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was the so (flight engineer) on flight las-iah. We were cruising at 330 I believe. We got a 'TA' on our TCASII followed 'climb.' we climbed about 400 ft and TCASII announced that traffic was no longer a factor. One of our pilots said traffic was about 1500 ft below I believe, prior to our climb. Pilots had mentioned our VHF communication reception was erratic, especially in precipitation. ZLA called to say they had tried to call us several times. None of us heard them although we were on the frequency. As flight engineer I try to monitor ATC when my flight engineer duties permit, but I didn't hear them. We wrote up the VHF communication receivers in our maintenance log. I'm glad we had TCASII we never saw the traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A LGT CLBED FROM ASSIGN-ALT IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA.

Narrative: I WAS THE SO (FE) ON FLT LAS-IAH. WE WERE CRUISING AT 330 I BELIEVE. WE GOT A 'TA' ON OUR TCASII FOLLOWED 'CLB.' WE CLBED ABOUT 400 FT AND TCASII ANNOUNCED THAT TFC WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR. ONE OF OUR PLTS SAID TFC WAS ABOUT 1500 FT BELOW I BELIEVE, PRIOR TO OUR CLB. PLTS HAD MENTIONED OUR VHF COM RECEPTION WAS ERRATIC, ESPECIALLY IN PRECIPITATION. ZLA CALLED TO SAY THEY HAD TRIED TO CALL US SEVERAL TIMES. NONE OF US HEARD THEM ALTHOUGH WE WERE ON THE FREQ. AS FE I TRY TO MONITOR ATC WHEN MY FE DUTIES PERMIT, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR THEM. WE WROTE UP THE VHF COM RECEIVERS IN OUR MAINT LOG. I'M GLAD WE HAD TCASII WE NEVER SAW THE TFC.

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.