TCASII during climb. After handoff by tower to departure controller, as flight crew was leveling at ...

Attributes
ACN	340766
Time
Date	199606
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : teb
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	340766
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

After departing runway 1 at teterboro, tower told us we had traffic ahead and to our left at 1500 ft. I reported back that I did not see the traffic. Tower then handed us off to departure control. The SID for runway 1 calls for a climb to 2000 ft. Upon contact with departure control we were told 'turn left to 270 degrees, climb to 6000 ft.' my copilot (the PF for that leg) initiated the turn and began a slow climb. The climb rate was initially slow because of the power being pulled significantly back to comply with the 2000 ft initial altitude in the SID. Shortly after the turn was initiated the TCASII gave us a TA. This was followed almost immediately by an RA of 'climb, climb, climb.' at the same time the TCASII was giving us the TA and the RA, departure was talking to us. Neither of us could understand what departure was telling us because of the TCASII aural RA. Upon hearing the 'climb' command from the TCASII, I immediately instructed my copilot to 'increase climb now!!' I was looking outside trying to find the conflicting traffic. I never saw the traffic. After we were clear of the traffic conflict I asked departure to repeat his previous transmission. He said we had a traffic conflict, but we were now clear of traffic. I can only guess that the traffic reported to us by tower was the same traffic conflicting with us. To comply with an initial altitude of only 2000 ft power is significantly reduced almost immediately after takeoff. When tower handed us off to departure we were already level at 2000 ft with the power way back. When departure gave us a left turn and a climb, the turn was immediately initiated. At the same time the PF began to gradually increase the power and (in order to keep it comfortable and smooth for the passenger) initiate a gradual climb. By this time the traffic reported to us by tower must have either been climbing or 'strayed' close to our 2000 ft altitude. While climb rates at altitudes below 10000 ft may be as high as 5000-7000 FPM for most jet aircraft, if there is an initial leveloff at a lower altitude, ATC should be aware that once given clearance to climb it will take some time to increase power and resume a rapid climb rate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII DURING CLB. AFTER HDOF BY TWR TO DEP CTLR, AS FLC WAS LEVELING AT SID ALT, DEP CTLR GAVE HDG CLRNC AND CLB. ACFT CLB RATE NOT FAST ENOUGH TO AVOID A TCASII RA. RPTR SAYS, IN ORDER TO LEVEL AT 2000 FT ON SID, THE PWR MUST BE REDUCED AND THEN WHEN COMMENCING CLB IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET CLB RATE BACK.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING RWY 1 AT TETERBORO, TWR TOLD US WE HAD TFC AHEAD AND TO OUR L AT 1500 FT. I RPTED BACK THAT I DID NOT SEE THE TFC. TWR THEN HANDED US OFF TO DEP CTL. THE SID FOR RWY 1 CALLS FOR A CLB TO 2000 FT. UPON CONTACT WITH DEP CTL WE WERE TOLD 'TURN L TO 270 DEGS, CLB TO 6000 FT.' MY COPLT (THE PF FOR THAT LEG) INITIATED THE TURN AND BEGAN A SLOW CLB. THE CLB RATE WAS INITIALLY SLOW BECAUSE OF THE PWR BEING PULLED SIGNIFICANTLY BACK TO COMPLY WITH THE 2000 FT INITIAL ALT IN THE SID. SHORTLY AFTER THE TURN WAS INITIATED THE TCASII GAVE US A TA. THIS WAS FOLLOWED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BY AN RA OF 'CLB, CLB, CLB.' AT THE SAME TIME THE TCASII WAS GIVING US THE TA AND THE RA, DEP WAS TALKING TO US. NEITHER OF US COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT DEP WAS TELLING US BECAUSE OF THE TCASII AURAL RA. UPON HEARING THE 'CLB' COMMAND FROM THE TCASII, I IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED MY COPLT TO 'INCREASE CLB NOW!!' I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE TRYING TO FIND THE CONFLICTING TFC. I NEVER SAW THE TFC. AFTER WE WERE CLR OF THE TFC CONFLICT I ASKED DEP TO REPEAT HIS PREVIOUS XMISSION. HE SAID WE HAD A TFC CONFLICT, BUT WE WERE NOW CLR OF TFC. I CAN ONLY GUESS THAT THE TFC RPTED TO US BY TWR WAS THE SAME TFC CONFLICTING WITH US. TO COMPLY WITH AN INITIAL ALT OF ONLY 2000 FT PWR IS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF. WHEN TWR HANDED US OFF TO DEP WE WERE ALREADY LEVEL AT 2000 FT WITH THE PWR WAY BACK. WHEN DEP GAVE US A L TURN AND A CLB, THE TURN WAS IMMEDIATELY INITIATED. AT THE SAME TIME THE PF BEGAN TO GRADUALLY INCREASE THE PWR AND (IN ORDER TO KEEP IT COMFORTABLE AND SMOOTH FOR THE PAX) INITIATE A GRADUAL CLB. BY THIS TIME THE TFC RPTED TO US BY TWR MUST HAVE EITHER BEEN CLBING OR 'STRAYED' CLOSE TO OUR 2000 FT ALT. WHILE CLB RATES AT ALTS BELOW 10000 FT MAY BE AS HIGH AS 5000-7000 FPM FOR MOST JET ACFT, IF THERE IS AN INITIAL LEVELOFF AT A LOWER ALT, ATC SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ONCE GIVEN CLRNC TO CLB IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO INCREASE PWR AND RESUME A RAPID CLB RATE.

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.