Flight crew of MD88 on descent has TCASII TA then RA and climbs to avoid traffic 100 ft below them.

Attributes
ACN	389414
Time
Date	199712
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : aqb tower : sdf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	389414
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	389411
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 100

Narrative:

I was the PF descending from 10000 ft MSL to 8000 ft on a right downwind to runway 8 at abq. We were on radar vectors heading 260 degrees and noticed a TCASII display of an aircraft at 11 O'clock and about 5 mi at 100 ft below us. It was clear skies with 10 mi visibility but I could not see the other aircraft, possibly because the ground was white with snow. The TCASII display turned 'yellow-DOT' and announced 'traffic, traffic' and it looked like we were on a collision course. I still could not see the other aircraft visually. The TCASII system then announced 'climb' and the vsi showed a green arc at above 1000 FPM, so I advanced the throttles to go around and brought the nose up about 15 degrees, while disconnecting the autoplt. I noticed the right engine was slightly overboosting and retarded it, but the captain prompted me to keep the throttles up, and follow the TCASII commands. The TCASII then announced that the conflict had been resolved, and I lowered the nose and retarded the throttles and returned back to 8000 ft. During this maneuver approach control also advised us of traffic climbing through 8000 ft at our 11 O'clock position, and after the conflict ended, approach said that the 'commander' had us in sight and we had passed directly overhead. We never saw the traffic, but the TCASII system showed him passing under us at 100 ft below our altitude. During the maneuver our confign was flaps 15 degrees and our speed was 170 KTS assigned. We then proceeded to an uneventful visual landing runway 8 at abq.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MD88 ON DSCNT HAS TCASII TA THEN RA AND CLBS TO AVOID TFC 100 FT BELOW THEM.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF DSNDING FROM 10000 FT MSL TO 8000 FT ON A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 8 AT ABQ. WE WERE ON RADAR VECTORS HDG 260 DEGS AND NOTICED A TCASII DISPLAY OF AN ACFT AT 11 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 5 MI AT 100 FT BELOW US. IT WAS CLR SKIES WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY BUT I COULD NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT, POSSIBLY BECAUSE THE GND WAS WHITE WITH SNOW. THE TCASII DISPLAY TURNED 'YELLOW-DOT' AND ANNOUNCED 'TFC, TFC' AND IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE. I STILL COULD NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT VISUALLY. THE TCASII SYS THEN ANNOUNCED 'CLB' AND THE VSI SHOWED A GREEN ARC AT ABOVE 1000 FPM, SO I ADVANCED THE THROTTLES TO GAR AND BROUGHT THE NOSE UP ABOUT 15 DEGS, WHILE DISCONNECTING THE AUTOPLT. I NOTICED THE R ENG WAS SLIGHTLY OVERBOOSTING AND RETARDED IT, BUT THE CAPT PROMPTED ME TO KEEP THE THROTTLES UP, AND FOLLOW THE TCASII COMMANDS. THE TCASII THEN ANNOUNCED THAT THE CONFLICT HAD BEEN RESOLVED, AND I LOWERED THE NOSE AND RETARDED THE THROTTLES AND RETURNED BACK TO 8000 FT. DURING THIS MANEUVER APCH CTL ALSO ADVISED US OF TFC CLBING THROUGH 8000 FT AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS, AND AFTER THE CONFLICT ENDED, APCH SAID THAT THE 'COMMANDER' HAD US IN SIGHT AND WE HAD PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. WE NEVER SAW THE TFC, BUT THE TCASII SYS SHOWED HIM PASSING UNDER US AT 100 FT BELOW OUR ALT. DURING THE MANEUVER OUR CONFIGN WAS FLAPS 15 DEGS AND OUR SPD WAS 170 KTS ASSIGNED. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL LNDG RWY 8 AT ABQ.

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.