Narrative:

We were level at 6000 ft on a vector south of sax VOR and northwest of ewr. New york approach was very busy. At about the same instant, 2 things happened: 1) we got a TA on a target at our 1 O'clock position and 300 ft below us. 2) controller gave us a 40 degree turn to the left. The target had no climb vector which made me think that he was level. As we rolled into the turn, I told the first officer (PF) to be ready to climb. I tried to ask the controller about the target, but as we were turning we got an RA to descend. I was so busy looking for the traffic outside, monitoring the left turn, and listening to the radio that I did not realize the target was actually slowly climbing! As a result, I thought the TCASII was in error. I told the first officer not to descend. By now we were rolling out from the turn and we were still looking for the target when the TCASII said 'crossing descend, crossing descend.' only now did I realize that the target was climbing. At that instant I told the first officer to descend and we both saw the target -- a C182RG or C210. Could not tell which, but it was close! We were in a steep descent about 500 ft below our assigned altitude when the controller told us to maintain 6000 ft because he had a B777 traffic behind, below and some direction to us. I looked out my left window and saw him there -- less than 1 mi away, most likely at 5000 ft. I told the controller about the cessna and he did not reply. I think that if the controller was not so overloaded, he could have pointed out the cessna. I probably should have followed the RA immediately, but it's a difficult thing to blindly follow what the TCASII computer tells you. Since the last TCASII display I saw showed the cessna 300 ft below us with no climb vector, I think the confusion of turning, talking to the controller, talking to my first officer, and looking for the traffic visually caused me to have tunnel vision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 HAS MULTIPLE TCASII TA'S AND RA'S IN CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT 6000 FT ON A VECTOR S OF SAX VOR AND NW OF EWR. NEW YORK APCH WAS VERY BUSY. AT ABOUT THE SAME INSTANT, 2 THINGS HAPPENED: 1) WE GOT A TA ON A TARGET AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS AND 300 FT BELOW US. 2) CTLR GAVE US A 40 DEG TURN TO THE L. THE TARGET HAD NO CLB VECTOR WHICH MADE ME THINK THAT HE WAS LEVEL. AS WE ROLLED INTO THE TURN, I TOLD THE FO (PF) TO BE READY TO CLB. I TRIED TO ASK THE CTLR ABOUT THE TARGET, BUT AS WE WERE TURNING WE GOT AN RA TO DSND. I WAS SO BUSY LOOKING FOR THE TFC OUTSIDE, MONITORING THE L TURN, AND LISTENING TO THE RADIO THAT I DID NOT REALIZE THE TARGET WAS ACTUALLY SLOWLY CLBING! AS A RESULT, I THOUGHT THE TCASII WAS IN ERROR. I TOLD THE FO NOT TO DSND. BY NOW WE WERE ROLLING OUT FROM THE TURN AND WE WERE STILL LOOKING FOR THE TARGET WHEN THE TCASII SAID 'XING DSND, XING DSND.' ONLY NOW DID I REALIZE THAT THE TARGET WAS CLBING. AT THAT INSTANT I TOLD THE FO TO DSND AND WE BOTH SAW THE TARGET -- A C182RG OR C210. COULD NOT TELL WHICH, BUT IT WAS CLOSE! WE WERE IN A STEEP DSCNT ABOUT 500 FT BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 6000 FT BECAUSE HE HAD A B777 TFC BEHIND, BELOW AND SOME DIRECTION TO US. I LOOKED OUT MY L WINDOW AND SAW HIM THERE -- LESS THAN 1 MI AWAY, MOST LIKELY AT 5000 FT. I TOLD THE CTLR ABOUT THE CESSNA AND HE DID NOT REPLY. I THINK THAT IF THE CTLR WAS NOT SO OVERLOADED, HE COULD HAVE POINTED OUT THE CESSNA. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE RA IMMEDIATELY, BUT IT'S A DIFFICULT THING TO BLINDLY FOLLOW WHAT THE TCASII COMPUTER TELLS YOU. SINCE THE LAST TCASII DISPLAY I SAW SHOWED THE CESSNA 300 FT BELOW US WITH NO CLB VECTOR, I THINK THE CONFUSION OF TURNING, TALKING TO THE CTLR, TALKING TO MY FO, AND LOOKING FOR THE TFC VISUALLY CAUSED ME TO HAVE TUNNEL VISION.

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.