TCASII. VFR traffic in busy climb area.

Attributes
ACN	317258
Time
Date	199509
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dpk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11600 msl bound upper : 11600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tower : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent 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 : 150 flight time total : 11000
ASRS Report	317258
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departing runway 13, lga (whitestone climb), departure turned us west and cleared us to 15000 ft. As we switched to 120.4, we were told to climb to 13000 ft and advised of VFR traffic at 10 O'clock circling. As we approached 11600 ft ATC asked if lear traffic was descending. We immediately got a TCASII RA, and were told by TCASII to descend at 2000 FPM down. Immediate action by us was needed to avoid a major conflict as this VFR lear jet descended through our altitude. We were not told of VFR traffic type or altitude. Was the lear assigned a hard altitude? We were only on 120.4 a few seconds before all this happened. We never got all the information from ATC to avoid a close conflict. Hats off to TCASII. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: while on the whitestone climb from lga just after a frequency change, ATC advised flight crew of VFR traffic at 10 O'clock. Then, in an excited voice asked reporter if the lear was descending. Simultaneously reporter aircraft received TCASII RA with a descend command. Reporter says that TCASII saved them and to insure the word is passed what a great system TCASII is. Reporter was also very surprised that there would be VFR traffic in the very busy climb corridor from ny.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII. VFR TFC IN BUSY CLB AREA.

Narrative: DEPARTING RWY 13, LGA (WHITESTONE CLB), DEP TURNED US W AND CLRED US TO 15000 FT. AS WE SWITCHED TO 120.4, WE WERE TOLD TO CLB TO 13000 FT AND ADVISED OF VFR TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK CIRCLING. AS WE APCHED 11600 FT ATC ASKED IF LEAR TFC WAS DSNDING. WE IMMEDIATELY GOT A TCASII RA, AND WERE TOLD BY TCASII TO DSND AT 2000 FPM DOWN. IMMEDIATE ACTION BY US WAS NEEDED TO AVOID A MAJOR CONFLICT AS THIS VFR LEAR JET DSNDED THROUGH OUR ALT. WE WERE NOT TOLD OF VFR TFC TYPE OR ALT. WAS THE LEAR ASSIGNED A HARD ALT? WE WERE ONLY ON 120.4 A FEW SECONDS BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED. WE NEVER GOT ALL THE INFO FROM ATC TO AVOID A CLOSE CONFLICT. HATS OFF TO TCASII. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHILE ON THE WHITESTONE CLB FROM LGA JUST AFTER A FREQ CHANGE, ATC ADVISED FLC OF VFR TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK. THEN, IN AN EXCITED VOICE ASKED RPTR IF THE LEAR WAS DSNDING. SIMULTANEOUSLY RPTR ACFT RECEIVED TCASII RA WITH A DSND COMMAND. RPTR SAYS THAT TCASII SAVED THEM AND TO INSURE THE WORD IS PASSED WHAT A GREAT SYS TCASII IS. RPTR WAS ALSO VERY SURPRISED THAT THERE WOULD BE VFR TFC IN THE VERY BUSY CLB CORRIDOR FROM NY.

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.