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Flight crew reported TCASII target during takeoff climb. Tower controller reported no traffic. Departure controller advised of an occasional phantom target that appears from radar reflection off building.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 333375 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199604 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : lax |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax tower : lax |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : takeoff |
| Route In Use | departure other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 6700 flight time type : 110 |
| ASRS Report | 333375 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
A phantom TCASII target appeared during climb out at our 12 O'clock position at approximately 1 NM. Tower advised negative radar contact on target. Departure control was contacted and advised us that a phantom target appears occasionally due to radar reflection off a building on the coast line. We were in IMC conditions until we leveled at 2000 ft MSL and no visual contact was made. TCASII did give a TA during our climb out. A notice or advisory should be posted or published on the charts to inform the crews of this specific possibility occurring. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: analyst called the tower to get more information pertaining to the phantom target and the frequency of occurrence. The respondent stated the target appears occasionally and indicated that it seems to occur when conditions of traffic and atmospheric phenomena exist.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC RPTED TCASII TARGET DURING TKOF CLB. TWR CTLR RPTED NO TFC. DEP CTLR ADVISED OF AN OCCASIONAL PHANTOM TARGET THAT APPEARS FROM RADAR REFLECTION OFF BUILDING.
Narrative: A PHANTOM TCASII TARGET APPEARED DURING CLBOUT AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS AT APPROX 1 NM. TWR ADVISED NEGATIVE RADAR CONTACT ON TARGET. DEP CTL WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED US THAT A PHANTOM TARGET APPEARS OCCASIONALLY DUE TO RADAR REFLECTION OFF A BUILDING ON THE COAST LINE. WE WERE IN IMC CONDITIONS UNTIL WE LEVELED AT 2000 FT MSL AND NO VISUAL CONTACT WAS MADE. TCASII DID GIVE A TA DURING OUR CLBOUT. A NOTICE OR ADVISORY SHOULD BE POSTED OR PUBLISHED ON THE CHARTS TO INFORM THE CREWS OF THIS SPECIFIC POSSIBILITY OCCURRING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST CALLED THE TWR TO GET MORE INFO PERTAINING TO THE PHANTOM TARGET AND THE FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE. THE RESPONDENT STATED THE TARGET APPEARS OCCASIONALLY AND INDICATED THAT IT SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN CONDITIONS OF TFC AND ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA EXIST.
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.