TCASII. While on radar vectors during departure, controller told flight crew to expedite climb, but ...

Attributes
ACN	337849
Time
Date	199606
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 204 flight time total : 15790 flight time type : 6478
ASRS Report	337849
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We pushed back on schedule but were delayed in departing bwi due to ATC WX rerte. This was due to individual and lines of thunderstorms in the local area and en route. Although bwi WX was given as 5000 ft scattered, and visibility 10+ mi, we entered an area, shortly after takeoff during initial climb out, of haze where the visibility decreased substantially. We took off from runway 15R with a clearance to fly runway and climb to 4000 ft. Departure control gave us a right turn to 330 degrees on initial contact. I made the turn using takeoff flaps so as to complete the turn as quickly as possible and stay away from some WX we were seeing visually and on the radar. During the latter part of the turn, departure control told us to expedite our climb, which we did to the best of our capability. We had retarded the power from takeoff to climb prior to this point and our climb rate was approximately 1000 FPM during cleanup. Departure control advised us of traffic, gave us a turn to 360 degrees and again said expedite climb. Our TCASII TA indicated a target at 10:30 above and descending. This was followed by an RA which commanded a descent. I did not have the traffic in sight. I stopped climbing and started descending. TCASII said 'increase rate of descent,' which I did. Departure control was advised of our responding to the RA as he told us to expedite climb to an altitude of approximately 8000 ft to which we had been cleared. It all happened very quickly as about this time I saw the aircraft to my left, lower and descending. All warnings stopped and we started climbing per the controller's instructions. No further problems. I suspect the aircraft was being vectored to, or on a visual approach to runway 10. If the controller had given us a left turn from takeoff there would not have been a conflict or if he had been more aggressive in changing our rollout heading once he realized a conflict was developing that would have prevented the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII. WHILE ON RADAR VECTORS DURING DEP, CTLR TOLD FLC TO EXPEDITE CLB, BUT THEY WERE ALREADY CLBING AT THE MAX RATE. CONFLICT DEVELOPED WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN DSCNT. RPTR FLC RECEIVED TCASII RA WHICH THEY FOLLOWED. RPTR ACQUIRED TFC VISUALLY, WHICH BY THEN WAS NO THREAT, AND CONTINUED CLB.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK ON SCHEDULE BUT WERE DELAYED IN DEPARTING BWI DUE TO ATC WX RERTE. THIS WAS DUE TO INDIVIDUAL AND LINES OF TSTMS IN THE LCL AREA AND ENRTE. ALTHOUGH BWI WX WAS GIVEN AS 5000 FT SCATTERED, AND VISIBILITY 10+ MI, WE ENTERED AN AREA, SHORTLY AFTER TKOF DURING INITIAL CLBOUT, OF HAZE WHERE THE VISIBILITY DECREASED SUBSTANTIALLY. WE TOOK OFF FROM RWY 15R WITH A CLRNC TO FLY RWY AND CLB TO 4000 FT. DEP CTL GAVE US A R TURN TO 330 DEGS ON INITIAL CONTACT. I MADE THE TURN USING TKOF FLAPS SO AS TO COMPLETE THE TURN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND STAY AWAY FROM SOME WX WE WERE SEEING VISUALLY AND ON THE RADAR. DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE TURN, DEP CTL TOLD US TO EXPEDITE OUR CLB, WHICH WE DID TO THE BEST OF OUR CAPABILITY. WE HAD RETARDED THE PWR FROM TKOF TO CLB PRIOR TO THIS POINT AND OUR CLB RATE WAS APPROX 1000 FPM DURING CLEANUP. DEP CTL ADVISED US OF TFC, GAVE US A TURN TO 360 DEGS AND AGAIN SAID EXPEDITE CLB. OUR TCASII TA INDICATED A TARGET AT 10:30 ABOVE AND DSNDING. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY AN RA WHICH COMMANDED A DSCNT. I DID NOT HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT. I STOPPED CLBING AND STARTED DSNDING. TCASII SAID 'INCREASE RATE OF DSCNT,' WHICH I DID. DEP CTL WAS ADVISED OF OUR RESPONDING TO THE RA AS HE TOLD US TO EXPEDITE CLB TO AN ALT OF APPROX 8000 FT TO WHICH WE HAD BEEN CLRED. IT ALL HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AS ABOUT THIS TIME I SAW THE ACFT TO MY L, LOWER AND DSNDING. ALL WARNINGS STOPPED AND WE STARTED CLBING PER THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. NO FURTHER PROBS. I SUSPECT THE ACFT WAS BEING VECTORED TO, OR ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10. IF THE CTLR HAD GIVEN US A L TURN FROM TKOF THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT OR IF HE HAD BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN CHANGING OUR ROLLOUT HDG ONCE HE REALIZED A CONFLICT WAS DEVELOPING THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE PROB.

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.