Narrative:

We were at 5000 ft on a vector downwind for ILS runway 8L at atl. We were 8 NM northwest of the airport when we got an RA which showed a target at our position and at the same altitude. There was no TA before we got the RA. The TCASII commanded a climb, which we did, to 8000 ft. The RA target stayed with us as we climbed. We broke out of the overcast layer passing through 7000 ft and saw no aircraft nearby. ATC also said there was no one within 4 mi from us. We then thought there might be something wrong with the TCASII, so we leveled at 8000 ft (we were still getting a command to climb). The captain recycled the transponder and the RA went away. We were vectored for another approach for ILS runway 8L and landed without further problems. We suspect there might be a software problem with our TCASII units in the airbus causing false RA's. There has been problems of targets disappearing. The company has been working on that problem. We also reported this to our airbus people in maintenance and also to the appropriate people in the company via captain's reports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF AN AIRBUS 320 CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA WHILE ON A HIGH DOWNWIND LEG 8 MI OUT FROM THE ARPT. NO OBSERVED OR RPTED TFC AND THE TCASII TARGET FOLLOWED RPTR'S ACFT IN THE CLB. XPONDER WAS RECYCLED OFF AND ON WHICH CAUSED THE TARGET TO DISAPPEAR.

Narrative: WE WERE AT 5000 FT ON A VECTOR DOWNWIND FOR ILS RWY 8L AT ATL. WE WERE 8 NM NW OF THE ARPT WHEN WE GOT AN RA WHICH SHOWED A TARGET AT OUR POS AND AT THE SAME ALT. THERE WAS NO TA BEFORE WE GOT THE RA. THE TCASII COMMANDED A CLB, WHICH WE DID, TO 8000 FT. THE RA TARGET STAYED WITH US AS WE CLBED. WE BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST LAYER PASSING THROUGH 7000 FT AND SAW NO ACFT NEARBY. ATC ALSO SAID THERE WAS NO ONE WITHIN 4 MI FROM US. WE THEN THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TCASII, SO WE LEVELED AT 8000 FT (WE WERE STILL GETTING A COMMAND TO CLB). THE CAPT RECYCLED THE XPONDER AND THE RA WENT AWAY. WE WERE VECTORED FOR ANOTHER APCH FOR ILS RWY 8L AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. WE SUSPECT THERE MIGHT BE A SOFTWARE PROB WITH OUR TCASII UNITS IN THE AIRBUS CAUSING FALSE RA'S. THERE HAS BEEN PROBS OF TARGETS DISAPPEARING. THE COMPANY HAS BEEN WORKING ON THAT PROB. WE ALSO RPTED THIS TO OUR AIRBUS PEOPLE IN MAINT AND ALSO TO THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE IN THE COMPANY VIA CAPT'S RPTS.

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.