Flight crew of an MD88 climbed in response to a TCASII RA during a STAR arrival. Near midair collisi...

Attributes
ACN	368547
Time
Date	199705
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gdm airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 12300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : bos
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	368547
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Descending into bos, gardner 2 STAR. Shortly after leveling at 11000 ft our TCASII screen showed a yellow target at our 11 O'clock position. The altitude of the target was shown as 200 ft below our own. Both of us looked outside to try to visually acquire the other aircraft. Almost immediately the TCASII target turned red and the aural climb command of the TCASII began to repeat. The autoplt and autothrottles were disconnected and the nose pulled up to approximately 10 degrees nose up. The ivsi resolution required a rate of climb of about 900 FPM. Shortly after our climb was initiated, the TA/RA went quiet. We advised ATC of the situation and were told that ATC was not talking to the other aircraft. We lowered the nose and smoothly returned to 11000 ft. Maximum altitude reached was 12300 ft. We never saw the other aircraft and it is possible that the TCASII saved our lives.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD88 CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA DURING A STAR ARR. NMAC.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO BOS, GARDNER 2 STAR. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT 11000 FT OUR TCASII SCREEN SHOWED A YELLOW TARGET AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS. THE ALT OF THE TARGET WAS SHOWN AS 200 FT BELOW OUR OWN. BOTH OF US LOOKED OUTSIDE TO TRY TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE THE OTHER ACFT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE TCASII TARGET TURNED RED AND THE AURAL CLB COMMAND OF THE TCASII BEGAN TO REPEAT. THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES WERE DISCONNECTED AND THE NOSE PULLED UP TO APPROX 10 DEGS NOSE UP. THE IVSI RESOLUTION REQUIRED A RATE OF CLB OF ABOUT 900 FPM. SHORTLY AFTER OUR CLB WAS INITIATED, THE TA/RA WENT QUIET. WE ADVISED ATC OF THE SIT AND WERE TOLD THAT ATC WAS NOT TALKING TO THE OTHER ACFT. WE LOWERED THE NOSE AND SMOOTHLY RETURNED TO 11000 FT. MAX ALT REACHED WAS 12300 FT. WE NEVER SAW THE OTHER ACFT AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TCASII SAVED OUR LIVES.

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.

Flight crew of an MD88 climbed in response to a TCASII RA during a STAR arrival. Near midair collision.