Narrative:

Talking to new york approach on descent to new york metropolitan area, I was surprised at the late call on an airline traffic left to right, 500 ft above, that we were monitoring both visually and on the TCASII. After advising us to remain clear of class B airspace until cleared, we got a handoff to a busy frequency just a couple of mi outside the outer ring of the class B airspace. Trying to get a word in edgewise, we continued our descent to 2500 ft to get below the airspace, and suddenly, at about 3300 ft, we got an RA to descend. The copilot, who was flying the airplane from the left seat was somewhat hesitant at his reaction to the RA and was trying to acquire the aircraft visually. After 2 or 3 extra seconds, required for normal TCASII response and with my intervention, we followed the RA and descended, avoiding (on display) the other aircraft by 100-200 ft vertically, never having had a visual contact. I finally was able to get through on the frequency and was assigned another frequency. As soon as it was dialed, I heard the pilot of the other aircraft questioning the occurrence. The controller's response was that the citation, namely us, was not talking to anyone. Not correct! I think that IFR clearance might have prevented it, or perhaps, an earlier descent. A quicker response by the PF, to TCASII commands, instead of trying to visually locate the traffic would have increased the margins. TCASII saved the day! I also think that better sectoring could help avoid such occurrences. It always seems that the controller that clears one into class B airspace, 'owns' only a couple of mi outside the outer ring. Not getting through, or not getting cleared in that precious little time results in unpredictable (for the controller) flight path, and tight maneuvering, increasing the possibility of conflicts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA CITATION 560 FLC RECEIVED A TCASII RA NEAR THE SPA VOR.

Narrative: TALKING TO NEW YORK APCH ON DSCNT TO NEW YORK METRO AREA, I WAS SURPRISED AT THE LATE CALL ON AN AIRLINE TFC L TO R, 500 FT ABOVE, THAT WE WERE MONITORING BOTH VISUALLY AND ON THE TCASII. AFTER ADVISING US TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE UNTIL CLRED, WE GOT A HDOF TO A BUSY FREQ JUST A COUPLE OF MI OUTSIDE THE OUTER RING OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. TRYING TO GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE, WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT TO 2500 FT TO GET BELOW THE AIRSPACE, AND SUDDENLY, AT ABOUT 3300 FT, WE GOT AN RA TO DSND. THE COPLT, WHO WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE FROM THE L SEAT WAS SOMEWHAT HESITANT AT HIS REACTION TO THE RA AND WAS TRYING TO ACQUIRE THE ACFT VISUALLY. AFTER 2 OR 3 EXTRA SECONDS, REQUIRED FOR NORMAL TCASII RESPONSE AND WITH MY INTERVENTION, WE FOLLOWED THE RA AND DSNDED, AVOIDING (ON DISPLAY) THE OTHER ACFT BY 100-200 FT VERTLY, NEVER HAVING HAD A VISUAL CONTACT. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH ON THE FREQ AND WAS ASSIGNED ANOTHER FREQ. AS SOON AS IT WAS DIALED, I HEARD THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT QUESTIONING THE OCCURRENCE. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS THAT THE CITATION, NAMELY US, WAS NOT TALKING TO ANYONE. NOT CORRECT! I THINK THAT IFR CLRNC MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED IT, OR PERHAPS, AN EARLIER DSCNT. A QUICKER RESPONSE BY THE PF, TO TCASII COMMANDS, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO VISUALLY LOCATE THE TFC WOULD HAVE INCREASED THE MARGINS. TCASII SAVED THE DAY! I ALSO THINK THAT BETTER SECTORING COULD HELP AVOID SUCH OCCURRENCES. IT ALWAYS SEEMS THAT THE CTLR THAT CLRS ONE INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE, 'OWNS' ONLY A COUPLE OF MI OUTSIDE THE OUTER RING. NOT GETTING THROUGH, OR NOT GETTING CLRED IN THAT PRECIOUS LITTLE TIME RESULTS IN UNPREDICTABLE (FOR THE CTLR) FLT PATH, AND TIGHT MANEUVERING, INCREASING THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFLICTS.

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.