A B727 flight crew uses TCASII to avoid a descending skydiver aircraft northwest of pvd, ri. TA not ...

Attributes
ACN	440870
Time
Date	199906
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pvd.airport
State Reference	RI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pvd.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pvd.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	440870
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 130
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Environmental Factor FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	FAA

Narrative:

On departure from pvd, pvd radar control assigned a northwest heading for an aircraft dropping skydivers. We were climbing to our assigned altitude of 10000 ft or 12000 ft. On the assigned heading, we received a TA warning on TCASII. Crew started looking for traffic. I instructed PF to start leveling off. Aircraft on TCASII was above us and descending. Before we could acquire a visual on aircraft, our TCASII turned into an RA. We followed our TCASII direction for RA. TCASII commanded a descent of about 1500 ft down. We started our descent at 8500 ft and TCASII stated 'clear of conflict' at about 7500 ft. About this same time we had a visual on the traffic (a high wing, single engine cessna) and started to level off. The copilot was the PF. While he was descending, I informed ATC that 'we have a TCASII RA and we are descending.' he acknowledged our transmission. After the conflict was over and we were climbing back to assigned altitude, I inquired to ATC whether or not he had that aircraft or radar, and his response was, 'I have several aircraft out there, some with mode C and some without.' I feel that my crew did an excellent job following company procedures and SOP per our TCASII training. If ATC would have advised us of VFR traffic with mode C, we would have had more options sooner.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLC USES TCASII TO AVOID A DSNDING SKYDIVER ACFT NW OF PVD, RI. TA NOT GIVEN.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM PVD, PVD RADAR CTL ASSIGNED A NW HDG FOR AN ACFT DROPPING SKYDIVERS. WE WERE CLBING TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 10000 FT OR 12000 FT. ON THE ASSIGNED HDG, WE RECEIVED A TA WARNING ON TCASII. CREW STARTED LOOKING FOR TFC. I INSTRUCTED PF TO START LEVELING OFF. ACFT ON TCASII WAS ABOVE US AND DSNDING. BEFORE WE COULD ACQUIRE A VISUAL ON ACFT, OUR TCASII TURNED INTO AN RA. WE FOLLOWED OUR TCASII DIRECTION FOR RA. TCASII COMMANDED A DSCNT OF ABOUT 1500 FT DOWN. WE STARTED OUR DSCNT AT 8500 FT AND TCASII STATED 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AT ABOUT 7500 FT. ABOUT THIS SAME TIME WE HAD A VISUAL ON THE TFC (A HIGH WING, SINGLE ENG CESSNA) AND STARTED TO LEVEL OFF. THE COPLT WAS THE PF. WHILE HE WAS DSNDING, I INFORMED ATC THAT 'WE HAVE A TCASII RA AND WE ARE DSNDING.' HE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR XMISSION. AFTER THE CONFLICT WAS OVER AND WE WERE CLBING BACK TO ASSIGNED ALT, I INQUIRED TO ATC WHETHER OR NOT HE HAD THAT ACFT OR RADAR, AND HIS RESPONSE WAS, 'I HAVE SEVERAL ACFT OUT THERE, SOME WITH MODE C AND SOME WITHOUT.' I FEEL THAT MY CREW DID AN EXCELLENT JOB FOLLOWING COMPANY PROCS AND SOP PER OUR TCASII TRAINING. IF ATC WOULD HAVE ADVISED US OF VFR TFC WITH MODE C, WE WOULD HAVE HAD MORE OPTIONS SOONER.

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.

A B727 flight crew uses TCASII to avoid a descending skydiver aircraft northwest of pvd, ri. TA not given.