Flight crew responds to TCASII RA approaching fpo.

Attributes
ACN	437973
Time
Date	199905
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mygf.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5300
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : na148.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	437973
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to original clearance
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2500 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Joined airway inbound to freeport, bahamas, after WX deviations. Advised by center of an unknown target ahead at approximately 4500 ft. Our flight was cleared to 4000 ft. Due to proximity of target, advised center our flight would level off at 5000 ft. In and out of clouds. Target altitude was varying. Target vertical and lateral distance decreased resulting in a climb RA. Compiled and started climb to 5300 ft. Caught a glimpse of other aircraft off the port side. It appeared to be a cessna single engine at a level altitude. However, its proximity to the clouds appeared to be less than required. After clearing target, returned to 5000 ft and subsequently cleared to 4000 ft and switched to fpo approach. This is not the first conflict with traffic in this area. Fpo approach is non radar and many aircraft are flying closer to clouds than legal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC RESPONDS TO TCASII RA APCHING FPO.

Narrative: JOINED AIRWAY INBOUND TO FREEPORT, BAHAMAS, AFTER WX DEVS. ADVISED BY CTR OF AN UNKNOWN TARGET AHEAD AT APPROX 4500 FT. OUR FLT WAS CLRED TO 4000 FT. DUE TO PROX OF TARGET, ADVISED CTR OUR FLT WOULD LEVEL OFF AT 5000 FT. IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS. TARGET ALT WAS VARYING. TARGET VERT AND LATERAL DISTANCE DECREASED RESULTING IN A CLB RA. COMPILED AND STARTED CLB TO 5300 FT. CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF OTHER ACFT OFF THE PORT SIDE. IT APPEARED TO BE A CESSNA SINGLE ENG AT A LEVEL ALT. HOWEVER, ITS PROX TO THE CLOUDS APPEARED TO BE LESS THAN REQUIRED. AFTER CLRING TARGET, RETURNED TO 5000 FT AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO 4000 FT AND SWITCHED TO FPO APCH. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST CONFLICT WITH TFC IN THIS AREA. FPO APCH IS NON RADAR AND MANY ACFT ARE FLYING CLOSER TO CLOUDS THAN LEGAL.

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.