Narrative:

We had a TCASII RA. Air carrier X flight did not comply with ATC instruction. Perhaps ATC was overloaded due to WX. We followed TCASII and avoided a collision. Our air carrier Y training and my previous government TCASII training in 1986 or 1987 literally saved our lives. Also our CRM training from captain a. Air carrier Y was instrumental in the emergency. The air carrier X aircraft turned and climbed into our flight path. The voice tapes and radar data along with WX will accurately show the situation. On the radio I initiated the 'near miss' report. Then called ZDC, then washington approach. Also notified dispatch desk. I believe ATC 'lost control' when air carrier X failed to comply with instructions. ATC was of little help, I felt we were on our own. We could not communicate with air carrier Y through commercial radio. Commercial radio did not answer calls on several frequencys. We relayed our messages through dca air carrier Y operations to dispatch. That was the best we could do. We had no prior warning concerning WX at dca. I requested WX as indicated on the tape. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: while being vectored for the lda runway 18 approach to dca, apparently another air carrier aircraft turned opposite to ATC controller's instructions as well as commenced a climb without clearance. That information was gathered from post flight communication with both ZDC and approach control. The WX at the time was not hazardous, but reporter believes the intruder aircraft was maneuvering to stay out of perceived bad WX. Reporter aircraft received TCASII RA and commenced a rapid descent. Airspeed increased to 380 KTS in the RA descent and reporter became concerned about the proximity of the ground. Reporter says that at that point the controller apparently panicked and literally was unable to issue controling instructions. Example -- controller told reporter aircraft to turn. Reporter said, 'which way or what heading?' controller said, 'whatever you want.' reporter said that the controller was so inept, he tried to relay information through ACARS, but unsuccessfully. WX at dca was reported 1700 ft overcast, visibility 6 mi in rain and fog, but reporter says it was much worse than that, so reporter diverted to ewr. No injuries or damage were reported as a result of the sudden, hard pushover.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC. TCASII ALLEGEDLY PREVENTED MIDAIR.

Narrative: WE HAD A TCASII RA. ACR X FLT DID NOT COMPLY WITH ATC INSTRUCTION. PERHAPS ATC WAS OVERLOADED DUE TO WX. WE FOLLOWED TCASII AND AVOIDED A COLLISION. OUR ACR Y TRAINING AND MY PREVIOUS GOV TCASII TRAINING IN 1986 OR 1987 LITERALLY SAVED OUR LIVES. ALSO OUR CRM TRAINING FROM CAPT A. ACR Y WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE EMER. THE ACR X ACFT TURNED AND CLBED INTO OUR FLT PATH. THE VOICE TAPES AND RADAR DATA ALONG WITH WX WILL ACCURATELY SHOW THE SIT. ON THE RADIO I INITIATED THE 'NEAR MISS' RPT. THEN CALLED ZDC, THEN WASHINGTON APCH. ALSO NOTIFIED DISPATCH DESK. I BELIEVE ATC 'LOST CTL' WHEN ACR X FAILED TO COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS. ATC WAS OF LITTLE HELP, I FELT WE WERE ON OUR OWN. WE COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH ACR Y THROUGH COMMERCIAL RADIO. COMMERCIAL RADIO DID NOT ANSWER CALLS ON SEVERAL FREQS. WE RELAYED OUR MESSAGES THROUGH DCA ACR Y OPS TO DISPATCH. THAT WAS THE BEST WE COULD DO. WE HAD NO PRIOR WARNING CONCERNING WX AT DCA. I REQUESTED WX AS INDICATED ON THE TAPE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE LDA RWY 18 APCH TO DCA, APPARENTLY ANOTHER ACR ACFT TURNED OPPOSITE TO ATC CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AS WELL AS COMMENCED A CLB WITHOUT CLRNC. THAT INFO WAS GATHERED FROM POST FLT COM WITH BOTH ZDC AND APCH CTL. THE WX AT THE TIME WAS NOT HAZARDOUS, BUT RPTR BELIEVES THE INTRUDER ACFT WAS MANEUVERING TO STAY OUT OF PERCEIVED BAD WX. RPTR ACFT RECEIVED TCASII RA AND COMMENCED A RAPID DSCNT. AIRSPD INCREASED TO 380 KTS IN THE RA DSCNT AND RPTR BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROX OF THE GND. RPTR SAYS THAT AT THAT POINT THE CTLR APPARENTLY PANICKED AND LITERALLY WAS UNABLE TO ISSUE CTLING INSTRUCTIONS. EXAMPLE -- CTLR TOLD RPTR ACFT TO TURN. RPTR SAID, 'WHICH WAY OR WHAT HDG?' CTLR SAID, 'WHATEVER YOU WANT.' RPTR SAID THAT THE CTLR WAS SO INEPT, HE TRIED TO RELAY INFO THROUGH ACARS, BUT UNSUCCESSFULLY. WX AT DCA WAS RPTED 1700 FT OVCST, VISIBILITY 6 MI IN RAIN AND FOG, BUT RPTR SAYS IT WAS MUCH WORSE THAN THAT, SO RPTR DIVERTED TO EWR. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE WERE RPTED AS A RESULT OF THE SUDDEN, HARD PUSHOVER.

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.