Narrative:

4 mins after lifting off from rdu en route to dca, we were cleared direct lvl and told to climb to 12000 ft. Departure control advised us of a possible VFR target at our 12 O'clock position showing an altitude of 6500 ft. We saw something had just popped up on the TCASII but because the TCASII representation is superimposed on our navigation display, its altitude and definition was obscured by other symbology. Shortly after ATC called it to our attention, we received a TA annunciation on the TCASII, still not picking it up visually. Then we received an RA commanding me to climb. I kicked off the autoplt and initiated a climb consistent with the RA cue. Shortly afterward, ATC advised us of a conflict alert and to immediately turn left 30 degrees. As I immediately banked, my first officer called out that he spotted the aircraft and it was to his right and below us. He also said prior to our turn, our aircraft was lined up with his tail which made him even more difficult to spot. Upon completing my 30 degree turn, I located the VFR aircraft off on the right side and it appeared to be 2-3 mi away. This is a heavily used departure route used by our airline every 4-5 hours. I realize this VFR pilot was within his legal rights to fly at his VFR altitude, however, when you add high speed transport category jets climbing through all altitudes using steep deck angles and cockpit crew members involved in a very, very busy phase of flight, I question the common sense of the VFR pilots and the regulators who allow it. This kind of stuff happens too frequently. In this same area there is another airport, rwi I believe, that is active to parachute jumping. I can't count the number of times I, in an aircraft moving at jet speeds, have had to deviate around jumpers who are pursuing their sport right on the arrival route! One afternoon, as I picked my way through multiple thunderstorms and on the STAR to rdu, I was told to turn to 'such and such' heading due to jumping. I refused as this would have placed us in a very threatening cell. What are these guys jumping in thunderstorms for and why does the FAA allow it? I ended up doing a 360 degree turn so as to accommodate the jumpers. I feel the rdu to lvl climb corridor should have tightened airspace restrs placed on it as well as the reverse direction STAR rtes. I realize full well that (fortunately) ATC did us a favor of calling extra attention to the VFR target for they are only legally responsible for separation from other IFR aircraft. No doubt our TCASII would have safely helped us if they had not. But I feel that is too many 'probablies' and 'maybes' for my own comfort.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PIC RPT ON THE CROWDED CORRIDOR CONDITIONS BTWN RDU AND DCA. CITES VFR TFC AND PARACHUTE JUMPERS BEING ALLOWED OPS NEAR TO THE DEP ARR RTE CREATING POSSIBLE CONFLICTS.

Narrative: 4 MINS AFTER LIFTING OFF FROM RDU ENRTE TO DCA, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT LVL AND TOLD TO CLB TO 12000 FT. DEP CTL ADVISED US OF A POSSIBLE VFR TARGET AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS SHOWING AN ALT OF 6500 FT. WE SAW SOMETHING HAD JUST POPPED UP ON THE TCASII BUT BECAUSE THE TCASII REPRESENTATION IS SUPERIMPOSED ON OUR NAV DISPLAY, ITS ALT AND DEFINITION WAS OBSCURED BY OTHER SYMBOLOGY. SHORTLY AFTER ATC CALLED IT TO OUR ATTN, WE RECEIVED A TA ANNUNCIATION ON THE TCASII, STILL NOT PICKING IT UP VISUALLY. THEN WE RECEIVED AN RA COMMANDING ME TO CLB. I KICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND INITIATED A CLB CONSISTENT WITH THE RA CUE. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, ATC ADVISED US OF A CONFLICT ALERT AND TO IMMEDIATELY TURN L 30 DEGS. AS I IMMEDIATELY BANKED, MY FO CALLED OUT THAT HE SPOTTED THE ACFT AND IT WAS TO HIS R AND BELOW US. HE ALSO SAID PRIOR TO OUR TURN, OUR ACFT WAS LINED UP WITH HIS TAIL WHICH MADE HIM EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO SPOT. UPON COMPLETING MY 30 DEG TURN, I LOCATED THE VFR ACFT OFF ON THE R SIDE AND IT APPEARED TO BE 2-3 MI AWAY. THIS IS A HEAVILY USED DEP RTE USED BY OUR AIRLINE EVERY 4-5 HRS. I REALIZE THIS VFR PLT WAS WITHIN HIS LEGAL RIGHTS TO FLY AT HIS VFR ALT, HOWEVER, WHEN YOU ADD HIGH SPD TRANSPORT CATEGORY JETS CLBING THROUGH ALL ALTS USING STEEP DECK ANGLES AND COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS INVOLVED IN A VERY, VERY BUSY PHASE OF FLT, I QUESTION THE COMMON SENSE OF THE VFR PLTS AND THE REGULATORS WHO ALLOW IT. THIS KIND OF STUFF HAPPENS TOO FREQUENTLY. IN THIS SAME AREA THERE IS ANOTHER ARPT, RWI I BELIEVE, THAT IS ACTIVE TO PARACHUTE JUMPING. I CAN'T COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES I, IN AN ACFT MOVING AT JET SPDS, HAVE HAD TO DEVIATE AROUND JUMPERS WHO ARE PURSUING THEIR SPORT RIGHT ON THE ARR RTE! ONE AFTERNOON, AS I PICKED MY WAY THROUGH MULTIPLE TSTMS AND ON THE STAR TO RDU, I WAS TOLD TO TURN TO 'SUCH AND SUCH' HDG DUE TO JUMPING. I REFUSED AS THIS WOULD HAVE PLACED US IN A VERY THREATENING CELL. WHAT ARE THESE GUYS JUMPING IN TSTMS FOR AND WHY DOES THE FAA ALLOW IT? I ENDED UP DOING A 360 DEG TURN SO AS TO ACCOMMODATE THE JUMPERS. I FEEL THE RDU TO LVL CLB CORRIDOR SHOULD HAVE TIGHTENED AIRSPACE RESTRS PLACED ON IT AS WELL AS THE REVERSE DIRECTION STAR RTES. I REALIZE FULL WELL THAT (FORTUNATELY) ATC DID US A FAVOR OF CALLING EXTRA ATTN TO THE VFR TARGET FOR THEY ARE ONLY LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SEPARATION FROM OTHER IFR ACFT. NO DOUBT OUR TCASII WOULD HAVE SAFELY HELPED US IF THEY HAD NOT. BUT I FEEL THAT IS TOO MANY 'PROBABLIES' AND 'MAYBES' FOR MY OWN COMFORT.

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.