Narrative:

Inbound on the mitts 1 arrival, approach gave us traffic at our 1 O'clock position, opposite direction. That traffic reported us in sight. We were looking for him but it was hazy and hard to spot. Then the TCASII issued an RA commanding a climb of 2000-4000 FPM. I disconnected the autoplt and began to climb. I instructed the first officer to tell lax that we had an RA. Then we heard 'clear of conflict.' this put us in the position of being extremely high on the approach and since lax had slowed us to 190 KTS, we had already deployed considerable drag. The rest of the approach was spent trying to get down and make a stabilized final to lax. We landed uneventfully. This business of allowing little aircraft to maintain visual separation from large aircraft is dangerous. Not only did this aircraft disrupt our flight (significantly) but there are a lot of light aircraft in southern california attempting to fly over class B airspace. There is no way that I can be certain that the aircraft that is causing the RA is the aircraft that ATC pointed out. I am required to comply with the advisory. ATC should vector traffic so that when these advisories occur, they are for real. In some cases, on certain approachs, we are taught to select TA only. This, in effect, cancels the usefulness of TCASII and sets us up for another B727 colliding with another cessna at another airport besides san diego.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A WDB CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA DURING A STAR ARR. THE UNKNOWN TFC WAS GIVEN TO THE FLC BY AN ATC ADVISORY, BUT SINCE THEY COULD NOT SIGHT THE OTHER TFC, THEY FOLLOWED THE TCASII RA. APCH CTL WAS INFORMED OF THEIR CLB AND THE REASON FOR IT.

Narrative: INBOUND ON THE MITTS 1 ARR, APCH GAVE US TFC AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS, OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THAT TFC RPTED US IN SIGHT. WE WERE LOOKING FOR HIM BUT IT WAS HAZY AND HARD TO SPOT. THEN THE TCASII ISSUED AN RA COMMANDING A CLB OF 2000-4000 FPM. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND BEGAN TO CLB. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO TELL LAX THAT WE HAD AN RA. THEN WE HEARD 'CLR OF CONFLICT.' THIS PUT US IN THE POS OF BEING EXTREMELY HIGH ON THE APCH AND SINCE LAX HAD SLOWED US TO 190 KTS, WE HAD ALREADY DEPLOYED CONSIDERABLE DRAG. THE REST OF THE APCH WAS SPENT TRYING TO GET DOWN AND MAKE A STABILIZED FINAL TO LAX. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THIS BUSINESS OF ALLOWING LITTLE ACFT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM LARGE ACFT IS DANGEROUS. NOT ONLY DID THIS ACFT DISRUPT OUR FLT (SIGNIFICANTLY) BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF LIGHT ACFT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ATTEMPTING TO FLY OVER CLASS B AIRSPACE. THERE IS NO WAY THAT I CAN BE CERTAIN THAT THE ACFT THAT IS CAUSING THE RA IS THE ACFT THAT ATC POINTED OUT. I AM REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE ADVISORY. ATC SHOULD VECTOR TFC SO THAT WHEN THESE ADVISORIES OCCUR, THEY ARE FOR REAL. IN SOME CASES, ON CERTAIN APCHS, WE ARE TAUGHT TO SELECT TA ONLY. THIS, IN EFFECT, CANCELS THE USEFULNESS OF TCASII AND SETS US UP FOR ANOTHER B727 COLLIDING WITH ANOTHER CESSNA AT ANOTHER ARPT BESIDES SAN DIEGO.

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.