Narrative:

Flight (albany-dca) with scheduled departure of XX40 local. We departed several mins early, got to the end of runway behind a cessna of one type or another. The wind, 270 degrees at 15 KTS or so. The cessna took off and was assigned a heading of 340 degrees. We were cleared onto the runway, and shortly cleared for takeoff. Just before rotation (past V1), seagulls lifted off the runway and caught our attention. I continued flying our runway heading and departure while the captain scanned the engine gauges anticipating problems. None occurred. At about 1000 ft, exact altitude unknown, we got a 'RA' with an 'ivvi' climb rate requirement of nearly 4000 FPM (green arc). There was no 'traffic' initial advisory warning, just the 'climb' RA. We scanned the radar traffic display to see a red 'aircraft' displayed within 200 ft of our altitude at a very close distance. Since our pitch attitude was nearly 15 degrees or more, we could not see forward, we did try to look but I was in the process of pulling the nose up more to climb. The following combination of factors may apply. (I called and talked to the folks at alb RAPCON.) they are required to provide 15 degrees divergent tracks to departing aircraft. Albany uses 30 degree local procedure. West wind of 270 degrees at 15 KTS, 284 degrees at 15 KTS magnetic would result in an 8-12 degree right cessna drift angle. Then, with acceleration error and an improperly set directional gyroscope, the ground track may have been less than 30 degrees. Also, the folks at the approach control said they felt the wind would affect all aircraft the same. True except on a takeoff. The lead aircraft is affected by drift, the trailing (#2) aircraft is not affected since it is still on the ground. Then, in the case of a jumbo jet at 160 KTS, the drift angle is only 4 or 5 degrees and does not drift while waiting for takeoff. Anyway -- lesson learned!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEP ACR GETS TCASII RA ON A PREVIOUS SLOWER CLBING ACFT AND INCREASES CLB RATE.

Narrative: FLT (ALBANY-DCA) WITH SCHEDULED DEP OF XX40 LCL. WE DEPARTED SEVERAL MINS EARLY, GOT TO THE END OF RWY BEHIND A CESSNA OF ONE TYPE OR ANOTHER. THE WIND, 270 DEGS AT 15 KTS OR SO. THE CESSNA TOOK OFF AND WAS ASSIGNED A HDG OF 340 DEGS. WE WERE CLRED ONTO THE RWY, AND SHORTLY CLRED FOR TKOF. JUST BEFORE ROTATION (PAST V1), SEAGULLS LIFTED OFF THE RWY AND CAUGHT OUR ATTN. I CONTINUED FLYING OUR RWY HDG AND DEP WHILE THE CAPT SCANNED THE ENG GAUGES ANTICIPATING PROBS. NONE OCCURRED. AT ABOUT 1000 FT, EXACT ALT UNKNOWN, WE GOT A 'RA' WITH AN 'IVVI' CLB RATE REQUIREMENT OF NEARLY 4000 FPM (GREEN ARC). THERE WAS NO 'TFC' INITIAL ADVISORY WARNING, JUST THE 'CLB' RA. WE SCANNED THE RADAR TFC DISPLAY TO SEE A RED 'ACFT' DISPLAYED WITHIN 200 FT OF OUR ALT AT A VERY CLOSE DISTANCE. SINCE OUR PITCH ATTITUDE WAS NEARLY 15 DEGS OR MORE, WE COULD NOT SEE FORWARD, WE DID TRY TO LOOK BUT I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PULLING THE NOSE UP MORE TO CLB. THE FOLLOWING COMBINATION OF FACTORS MAY APPLY. (I CALLED AND TALKED TO THE FOLKS AT ALB RAPCON.) THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE 15 DEGS DIVERGENT TRACKS TO DEPARTING ACFT. ALBANY USES 30 DEG LCL PROC. W WIND OF 270 DEGS AT 15 KTS, 284 DEGS AT 15 KTS MAGNETIC WOULD RESULT IN AN 8-12 DEG R CESSNA DRIFT ANGLE. THEN, WITH ACCELERATION ERROR AND AN IMPROPERLY SET DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE, THE GND TRACK MAY HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 30 DEGS. ALSO, THE FOLKS AT THE APCH CTL SAID THEY FELT THE WIND WOULD AFFECT ALL ACFT THE SAME. TRUE EXCEPT ON A TKOF. THE LEAD ACFT IS AFFECTED BY DRIFT, THE TRAILING (#2) ACFT IS NOT AFFECTED SINCE IT IS STILL ON THE GND. THEN, IN THE CASE OF A JUMBO JET AT 160 KTS, THE DRIFT ANGLE IS ONLY 4 OR 5 DEGS AND DOES NOT DRIFT WHILE WAITING FOR TKOF. ANYWAY -- LESSON LEARNED!

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.