Narrative:

Departing phx runway 8R, crossed phx VOR at 2800 ft and proceeded out the 075 degree radial per clearance. Just past the VOR while climbing at 0/extend, 1500 FPM, we got an RA, 'monitor vertical speed' and commanding a rate of climb exceeding 1500 FPM. TCASII showed the conflict aircraft to be directly underneath our aircraft and as close as 300 ft vertically at one time. We had to decelerate below 0/extend minimum manual speed in order to comply with the RA. The problem from our point of view was this: first officer was flying first leg of month. Departure was moderately demanding instrument procedure. Captain was monitoring inside the cockpit very closely for the above reasons. As a result, our VFR scan was very limited. We were not given any traffic by tower or departure control. When questioned after the event, departure control said that the conflict aircraft was seeing and avoiding us. I feel that either the conflict aircraft did not actually see our aircraft. Perhaps they saw the wrong dc-9? Unlikely they intentionally maneuvered too close to our aircraft or lastly our TCASII malfunctioned. Regardless of the explanation, we were placed in a poor situation, heavy with our airspeed decreasing and the belief that we were in peril of colliding with another aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC DEPARTING PHX EXPERIENCES TCASII RA. NMAC.

Narrative: DEPARTING PHX RWY 8R, CROSSED PHX VOR AT 2800 FT AND PROCEEDED OUT THE 075 DEG RADIAL PER CLRNC. JUST PAST THE VOR WHILE CLBING AT 0/EXTEND, 1500 FPM, WE GOT AN RA, 'MONITOR VERT SPD' AND COMMANDING A RATE OF CLB EXCEEDING 1500 FPM. TCASII SHOWED THE CONFLICT ACFT TO BE DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH OUR ACFT AND AS CLOSE AS 300 FT VERTLY AT ONE TIME. WE HAD TO DECELERATE BELOW 0/EXTEND MINIMUM MANUAL SPD IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE RA. THE PROB FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW WAS THIS: FO WAS FLYING FIRST LEG OF MONTH. DEP WAS MODERATELY DEMANDING INST PROC. CAPT WAS MONITORING INSIDE THE COCKPIT VERY CLOSELY FOR THE ABOVE REASONS. AS A RESULT, OUR VFR SCAN WAS VERY LIMITED. WE WERE NOT GIVEN ANY TFC BY TWR OR DEP CTL. WHEN QUESTIONED AFTER THE EVENT, DEP CTL SAID THAT THE CONFLICT ACFT WAS SEEING AND AVOIDING US. I FEEL THAT EITHER THE CONFLICT ACFT DID NOT ACTUALLY SEE OUR ACFT. PERHAPS THEY SAW THE WRONG DC-9? UNLIKELY THEY INTENTIONALLY MANEUVERED TOO CLOSE TO OUR ACFT OR LASTLY OUR TCASII MALFUNCTIONED. REGARDLESS OF THE EXPLANATION, WE WERE PLACED IN A POOR SIT, HVY WITH OUR AIRSPD DECREASING AND THE BELIEF THAT WE WERE IN PERIL OF COLLIDING WITH ANOTHER ACFT.

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.