TCASII alert, flight crew climbed to avoid traffic.

Attributes
ACN	298595
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lvz
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zny
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 14800 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	298595
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	299337
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

While en route from syr to phl during night, VMC, on top conditions, this crew received a TCASII radar alert to climb 800 ft above assigned altitude of 17000 ft as a result of improper ATC separation and advisory between our flight and a BE02 which was at an altitude of 16700-17000 ft. Once the TCASII advisory was received I had the traffic in sight at our 10 O'clock position. I could not determine that the BE02 was at our altitude until we received the TCASII radar alert to climb. The ZNY controller (134.45) did not tell us about the traffic because she thought that the preceding controller had told us about the BE02 which apparently was not at a VFR altitude. TCASII works!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII ALERT, FLC CLBED TO AVOID TFC.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM SYR TO PHL DURING NIGHT, VMC, ON TOP CONDITIONS, THIS CREW RECEIVED A TCASII RADAR ALERT TO CLB 800 FT ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT OF 17000 FT AS A RESULT OF IMPROPER ATC SEPARATION AND ADVISORY BTWN OUR FLT AND A BE02 WHICH WAS AT AN ALT OF 16700-17000 FT. ONCE THE TCASII ADVISORY WAS RECEIVED I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS. I COULD NOT DETERMINE THAT THE BE02 WAS AT OUR ALT UNTIL WE RECEIVED THE TCASII RADAR ALERT TO CLB. THE ZNY CTLR (134.45) DID NOT TELL US ABOUT THE TFC BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT THAT THE PRECEDING CTLR HAD TOLD US ABOUT THE BE02 WHICH APPARENTLY WAS NOT AT A VFR ALT. TCASII WORKS!

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.