Narrative:

I was the so on mco-atl, on oct/xa/97. On climb out from mco, departure control apparently had a shift change (male voice changed to female voice). The new controller cleared us to continue climbing from our present altitude (9000 ft). Even though all 3 of us in the cockpit seemed to be aware of traffic TCASII displayed 5 NM in front of us at 9500 ft, the captain began a climb. TCASII immediately responded with 'traffic, traffic' TA. The captain continued climbing despite my objections. TCASII then switched to RA mode, 'descend, descend now, descend' and displayed appropriate guidance on the TA/vsi. The captain ignored the warnings from TCASII and continued climbing even though I was telling him to descend and none of us had the traffic in sight. As the TCASII target merged with our aircraft symbol on the display, the captain abruptly turned left which probably prevented a collision. When we queried the controller about traffic, she said there was none. About 1 min later, we heard her attempting to contact 'VFR traffic at 9500 ft, north of orlando.' before we could ask her again, she handed us off to ZJX. There were 2 causes of this near mishap. Departure control cleared us to climb through VFR traffic's altitude and the captain failed to respond appropriately to TCASII warnings despite the objections of the other crew members. CRM or lack thereof is still a big factor in airline cockpits. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: analyst learned from the callback to the reporter that the controller had issued the left turn and that the flight crew did not have the traffic in sight at any time. When asked if it was company policy to adhere to the TCASII commands, the reporter stated it was company procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC OCCURRENCE WHEN CAPT OF B727 CLBS FROM 9000 FT WHILE IGNORING THE TCASII RA COMMAND TO DSND TO AVOID UNRPTED VFR TFC AT 9500 FT. CAPT MADE AN ABRUPT L TURN TO AVOID THE TFC.

Narrative: I WAS THE SO ON MCO-ATL, ON OCT/XA/97. ON CLB OUT FROM MCO, DEP CTL APPARENTLY HAD A SHIFT CHANGE (MALE VOICE CHANGED TO FEMALE VOICE). THE NEW CTLR CLRED US TO CONTINUE CLBING FROM OUR PRESENT ALT (9000 FT). EVEN THOUGH ALL 3 OF US IN THE COCKPIT SEEMED TO BE AWARE OF TFC TCASII DISPLAYED 5 NM IN FRONT OF US AT 9500 FT, THE CAPT BEGAN A CLB. TCASII IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED WITH 'TFC, TFC' TA. THE CAPT CONTINUED CLBING DESPITE MY OBJECTIONS. TCASII THEN SWITCHED TO RA MODE, 'DSND, DSND NOW, DSND' AND DISPLAYED APPROPRIATE GUIDANCE ON THE TA/VSI. THE CAPT IGNORED THE WARNINGS FROM TCASII AND CONTINUED CLBING EVEN THOUGH I WAS TELLING HIM TO DSND AND NONE OF US HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. AS THE TCASII TARGET MERGED WITH OUR ACFT SYMBOL ON THE DISPLAY, THE CAPT ABRUPTLY TURNED L WHICH PROBABLY PREVENTED A COLLISION. WHEN WE QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT TFC, SHE SAID THERE WAS NONE. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, WE HEARD HER ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT 'VFR TFC AT 9500 FT, N OF ORLANDO.' BEFORE WE COULD ASK HER AGAIN, SHE HANDED US OFF TO ZJX. THERE WERE 2 CAUSES OF THIS NEAR MISHAP. DEP CTL CLRED US TO CLB THROUGH VFR TFC'S ALT AND THE CAPT FAILED TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO TCASII WARNINGS DESPITE THE OBJECTIONS OF THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS. CRM OR LACK THEREOF IS STILL A BIG FACTOR IN AIRLINE COCKPITS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST LEARNED FROM THE CALLBACK TO THE RPTR THAT THE CTLR HAD ISSUED THE L TURN AND THAT THE FLC DID NOT HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT AT ANY TIME. WHEN ASKED IF IT WAS COMPANY POLICY TO ADHERE TO THE TCASII COMMANDS, THE RPTR STATED IT WAS COMPANY PROC.

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.