Report of TCASII RA evasive action by B737 to avoid a brasilia which was maintaining visual separati...

Attributes
ACN	392323
Time
Date	199801
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sac airport : smf
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Embraer Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	392323
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Arriving into sac airport on the wraps arrival, descending to 8000 ft as instructed, flying outbound on the sac 312 degree radial, approach pointed out traffic at 1 O'clock. I told him we were looking for the traffic because there were several aircraft and I was not sure which one he was referring to. The other traffic called us in sight. The controller told us the 1 O'clock traffic was a brasilia, that he had us in sight and would maintain visual separation. We kept monitoring the aircraft in the area and realized there was an aircraft coming right at us. Approach frequency was too busy for us to get a word in edgewise. We got 2 TA's from the TCASII and I told the first officer (flying) to turn left. We then got an RA that said monitor vertical speed, with a red band from zero (level) up to 2000 ft. I told the first officer to descend. The red band then changed to show a descent greater than 1500 FPM. We complied. I believe the brasilia passed directly over us about 700 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPT OF TCASII RA EVASIVE ACTION BY B737 TO AVOID A BRASILIA WHICH WAS MAINTAINING VISUAL SEPARATION FROM IT.

Narrative: ARRIVING INTO SAC ARPT ON THE WRAPS ARR, DSNDING TO 8000 FT AS INSTRUCTED, FLYING OUTBOUND ON THE SAC 312 DEG RADIAL, APCH POINTED OUT TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK. I TOLD HIM WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE TFC BECAUSE THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT AND I WAS NOT SURE WHICH ONE HE WAS REFERRING TO. THE OTHER TFC CALLED US IN SIGHT. THE CTLR TOLD US THE 1 O'CLOCK TFC WAS A BRASILIA, THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT AND WOULD MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. WE KEPT MONITORING THE ACFT IN THE AREA AND REALIZED THERE WAS AN ACFT COMING RIGHT AT US. APCH FREQ WAS TOO BUSY FOR US TO GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE. WE GOT 2 TA'S FROM THE TCASII AND I TOLD THE FO (FLYING) TO TURN L. WE THEN GOT AN RA THAT SAID MONITOR VERT SPD, WITH A RED BAND FROM ZERO (LEVEL) UP TO 2000 FT. I TOLD THE FO TO DSND. THE RED BAND THEN CHANGED TO SHOW A DSCNT GREATER THAN 1500 FPM. WE COMPLIED. I BELIEVE THE BRASILIA PASSED DIRECTLY OVER US ABOUT 700 FT.

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.

Report of TCASII RA evasive action by B737 to avoid a brasilia which was maintaining visual separation from it.