Narrative:

The usual climb out of atl was held down for unknown reasons at 14000 ft MSL. Not only for my aircraft but a preceding aircraft shown on our TCASII slightly more than 10 NM ahead. We received a climb clearance to FL230. Passing 16000 ft MSL, ATC called VFR traffic at 2 O'clock and a close range I cannot recall. Both my first officer and I noted no target initially on TCASII. As I looked outside, we received a TCASII TA, followed immediately by an RA, calling for 'climb.' the aircraft was actually climbing at the bottom of green band on autoplt, so a quick disengage improved the climb performance with a pull-up. During maneuver, traffic at 16500 ft sighted to left after it had passed my aircraft's flight path. My estimate was about 1 NM at same altitude. Human performance factors: the call from ATC was too late to evaluate TCASII as a possible source of information. With no TCASII information initially, once searching outside, the return to inside, instruments, takes important time to digest what is displayed. TCASII routinely fails to display known targets.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CLBING B757-200 PASSES 1 MI FROM A XING TURBOPROP AT 16500 FT, CLOSER THAN DESIRED. CAPT CITES A LATE WARNING FROM ATC AND HIS TCASII AS CAUSAL, 55 NM NE OF ATL, GA.

Narrative: THE USUAL CLB OUT OF ATL WAS HELD DOWN FOR UNKNOWN REASONS AT 14000 FT MSL. NOT ONLY FOR MY ACFT BUT A PRECEDING ACFT SHOWN ON OUR TCASII SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 10 NM AHEAD. WE RECEIVED A CLB CLRNC TO FL230. PASSING 16000 FT MSL, ATC CALLED VFR TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK AND A CLOSE RANGE I CANNOT RECALL. BOTH MY FO AND I NOTED NO TARGET INITIALLY ON TCASII. AS I LOOKED OUTSIDE, WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY AN RA, CALLING FOR 'CLB.' THE ACFT WAS ACTUALLY CLBING AT THE BOTTOM OF GREEN BAND ON AUTOPLT, SO A QUICK DISENGAGE IMPROVED THE CLB PERFORMANCE WITH A PULL-UP. DURING MANEUVER, TFC AT 16500 FT SIGHTED TO L AFTER IT HAD PASSED MY ACFT'S FLT PATH. MY ESTIMATE WAS ABOUT 1 NM AT SAME ALT. HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS: THE CALL FROM ATC WAS TOO LATE TO EVALUATE TCASII AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF INFO. WITH NO TCASII INFO INITIALLY, ONCE SEARCHING OUTSIDE, THE RETURN TO INSIDE, INSTS, TAKES IMPORTANT TIME TO DIGEST WHAT IS DISPLAYED. TCASII ROUTINELY FAILS TO DISPLAY KNOWN TARGETS.

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.