Flight crew of an air carrier widebody transport took evasive action by leveling off in descent and turning off course in an effort to maintain visual separation with another air carrier climbing out at night and to satisfy a TCASII RA.

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Attributes
ACN	429046
Time
Date	199902
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zhn.artcc
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl single value : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhn.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhn.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
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 : instrument pilot : atp pilot : private pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	429046
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	429048
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2500 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Descending into hnl for landing, ZHN reported traffic ahead. Advised to maintain visual and dscnd to 8000 ft. Upon reaching approximately 14000 ft, traffic appeared to now be 12 O'clock low and climbing. We banked right to avoid the conflict and leveled off at 14000 ft MSL. Once turn was established, an RA of the TCASII sounded. A 'shallow descent' TCASII RA was verbally sounded and shown on the vsi. Bank was increased to gain distance from other aircraft and our aircraft was leveled off to maintain 14000 ft. Other aircraft passed off our left side. ATC should not have issued a clearance at night to maintain visual with converging traffic. We were 12 O'clock to one another and I was cleared to descend below their altitude. A vector for separation should have been issued before cleared into the flight path of the other traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN ACR WDB TOOK EVASIVE ACTION BY LEVELING OFF IN DSCNT AND TURNING OFF COURSE IN AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER ACR CLBING OUT AT NIGHT AND TO SATISFY A TCASII RA.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO HNL FOR LNDG, ZHN RPTED TFC AHEAD. ADVISED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL AND DSCND TO 8000 FT. UPON REACHING APPROX 14000 FT, TFC APPEARED TO NOW BE 12 O'CLOCK LOW AND CLBING. WE BANKED R TO AVOID THE CONFLICT AND LEVELED OFF AT 14000 FT MSL. ONCE TURN WAS ESTABLISHED, AN RA OF THE TCASII SOUNDED. A 'SHALLOW DSCNT' TCASII RA WAS VERBALLY SOUNDED AND SHOWN ON THE VSI. BANK WAS INCREASED TO GAIN DISTANCE FROM OTHER ACFT AND OUR ACFT WAS LEVELED OFF TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT. OTHER ACFT PASSED OFF OUR L SIDE. ATC SHOULD NOT HAVE ISSUED A CLRNC AT NIGHT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL WITH CONVERGING TFC. WE WERE 12 O'CLOCK TO ONE ANOTHER AND I WAS CLRED TO DSND BELOW THEIR ALT. A VECTOR FOR SEPARATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED BEFORE CLRED INTO THE FLT PATH OF THE OTHER TFC.

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.