Flight crew of a super MD80 stopped their visual approach for landing and climbed in response to a TCASII RA. Evasive action was taken even though ATC had issued a TA of the cessna aircraft since it was not sighted.

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Attributes
ACN	403780
Time
Date	199805
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : psp
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : psp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	403780
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 : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Location: 5 mi southeast of psp airport. We had been cleared for a visual approach to runway 31L and were doing so when approach called out cessna traffic coming our direction along the ridges to the west of the airport. We had the traffic on TCASII but not visually as we continued for the runway. TCASII first called traffic, then went to a climb RA in excess of 1000 FPM. We immediately began the climb and advised ATC of our RA. After we were clear of conflict, ATC asked us to report continuing the visual approach. We never saw the intruding aircraft with the sun in our eyes. Our descending turn to final triggered the RA even though the intruder was well to the west of final and the airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A SUPER MD80 STOPPED THEIR VISUAL APCH FOR LNDG AND CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA. EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN EVEN THOUGH ATC HAD ISSUED A TA OF THE CESSNA ACFT SINCE IT WAS NOT SIGHTED.

Narrative: LOCATION: 5 MI SE OF PSP ARPT. WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 31L AND WERE DOING SO WHEN APCH CALLED OUT CESSNA TFC COMING OUR DIRECTION ALONG THE RIDGES TO THE W OF THE ARPT. WE HAD THE TFC ON TCASII BUT NOT VISUALLY AS WE CONTINUED FOR THE RWY. TCASII FIRST CALLED TFC, THEN WENT TO A CLB RA IN EXCESS OF 1000 FPM. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN THE CLB AND ADVISED ATC OF OUR RA. AFTER WE WERE CLR OF CONFLICT, ATC ASKED US TO RPT CONTINUING THE VISUAL APCH. WE NEVER SAW THE INTRUDING ACFT WITH THE SUN IN OUR EYES. OUR DSNDING TURN TO FINAL TRIGGERED THE RA EVEN THOUGH THE INTRUDER WAS WELL TO THE W OF FINAL AND THE ARPT.

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.