B747 climbing is issued a TA and a heading which causes TCASII to activate. Controller then issues a...

Attributes
ACN	399979
Time
Date	199804
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10500 msl bound upper : 10500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	399979
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

We were climbing through 10000 ft MSL on a 010 degree heading. ATC advised us of traffic at 1 O'clock position at 10500 ft. I started to question her (ATC) about the distance of the traffic. Her reply was to turn to a heading of 080 degrees. Because of traffic at 1 O'clock position, I questioned the heading of 080 degrees. She repeated the 080 degree heading again. The captain started to turn to 080 degrees. At that time, our TCASII told us to climb, climb. I saw the traffic on TCASII 100 ft below us and started to look outside at the 12:30 O'clock position. I did not see our traffic. I looked at the TCASII again and noticed it inside the inner scale at 00 ft. ATC then repeated, 'turn left, 340 degrees.' traffic passed under us on TCASII with 100 ft indicted. We never saw our traffic. I told ATC about the TCASII and said, that heading to 080 degrees was a bad heading and that was very, very close. ATC later claims that the traffic was 1500 ft below us and 1 1/2 mi away -- totally false.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CLBING IS ISSUED A TA AND A HEADING WHICH CAUSES TCASII TO ACTIVATE. CTLR THEN ISSUES A SECOND VECTOR.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT MSL ON A 010 DEG HDG. ATC ADVISED US OF TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK POS AT 10500 FT. I STARTED TO QUESTION HER (ATC) ABOUT THE DISTANCE OF THE TFC. HER REPLY WAS TO TURN TO A HDG OF 080 DEGS. BECAUSE OF TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK POS, I QUESTIONED THE HDG OF 080 DEGS. SHE REPEATED THE 080 DEG HDG AGAIN. THE CAPT STARTED TO TURN TO 080 DEGS. AT THAT TIME, OUR TCASII TOLD US TO CLB, CLB. I SAW THE TFC ON TCASII 100 FT BELOW US AND STARTED TO LOOK OUTSIDE AT THE 12:30 O'CLOCK POS. I DID NOT SEE OUR TFC. I LOOKED AT THE TCASII AGAIN AND NOTICED IT INSIDE THE INNER SCALE AT 00 FT. ATC THEN REPEATED, 'TURN L, 340 DEGS.' TFC PASSED UNDER US ON TCASII WITH 100 FT INDICTED. WE NEVER SAW OUR TFC. I TOLD ATC ABOUT THE TCASII AND SAID, THAT HDG TO 080 DEGS WAS A BAD HEADING AND THAT WAS VERY, VERY CLOSE. ATC LATER CLAIMS THAT THE TFC WAS 1500 FT BELOW US AND 1 1/2 MI AWAY -- TOTALLY FALSE.

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.

B747 climbing is issued a TA and a heading which causes TCASII to activate. Controller then issues a second vector.