Flight crew on ATR72 en route to mia level at 6000 ft received TCASII RA to descend. Passing through 5700 ft, pbi approach issued a traffic alert and flight crew saw cargo B727 pass 300-400 ft overhead. Reporter believes if cargo aircraft were required to have TCASII, evasive action would not be as severe.

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Attributes
ACN	410538
Time
Date	199807
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pbi
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5700 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pbi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	ATR 72
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	410538
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Level at 6000 ft on approach to mia at approximately XA00 hours, B727 cargo operator (non TCASII equipped) gave us (ATR72) RA to descend 2000 FPM. Complied immediately. Passing 5700 ft, pbi approach issued traffic alert with alarm sounding in backgnd. Visually picked up B727 as he overflew us 300-400 ft higher. B727 never saw us as he was climbing. If we had relied on ATC to warn us, conflict would have been imminent and catastrophic. Definitely TCASII prevented the meeting of 2 aircraft. If cargo aircraft were required to have TCASII evasive maneuver probably would not have been as severe.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ON ATR72 ENRTE TO MIA LEVEL AT 6000 FT RECEIVED TCASII RA TO DSND. PASSING THROUGH 5700 FT, PBI APCH ISSUED A TFC ALERT AND FLC SAW CARGO B727 PASS 300-400 FT OVERHEAD. RPTR BELIEVES IF CARGO ACFT WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE TCASII, EVASIVE ACTION WOULD NOT BE AS SEVERE.

Narrative: LEVEL AT 6000 FT ON APCH TO MIA AT APPROX XA00 HRS, B727 CARGO OPERATOR (NON TCASII EQUIPPED) GAVE US (ATR72) RA TO DSND 2000 FPM. COMPLIED IMMEDIATELY. PASSING 5700 FT, PBI APCH ISSUED TFC ALERT WITH ALARM SOUNDING IN BACKGND. VISUALLY PICKED UP B727 AS HE OVERFLEW US 300-400 FT HIGHER. B727 NEVER SAW US AS HE WAS CLBING. IF WE HAD RELIED ON ATC TO WARN US, CONFLICT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMMINENT AND CATASTROPHIC. DEFINITELY TCASII PREVENTED THE MEETING OF 2 ACFT. IF CARGO ACFT WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE TCASII EVASIVE MANEUVER PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS SEVERE.

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.