A 320 crew and king air had TCAS RA in ZNY class east.

Attributes
ACN	533827
Time
Date	200112
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9700 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 18500 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	533827
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met conflict : airborne critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The events happened back to back. The airbus and air carrier X have weaknesses built into the FMC/autoflt (and I am still responsible). But you have to remain on your toes to prevent the short comings of the FMC. Was on the arrival to lga. Cleared to cross marcs at 18000 ft, got ATIS and lga shooting the expressway app 31, I was head down building the app (air carrier X) doesn't provide enough memory and so we have to built to many apps. In any case if you build or select an app after selecting a STAR with a crossing added the crossing sometimes pops out and always (airbus bad design). So the first officer missed as I did that the crossing dropped out. I noticed it and saw we were to high, ask center for relief and got it, this then set a few new xings that needed to be programmed/and while didn't feel too rushed, missed a frequency change, after several calls ( or just one more) took the new frequency, but not before we got a TCAS RA while level at 10000 ft descending to 9000 ft. Returned to 10000 ft. King air appeared to be VFR down to 10500FT. Center didn't call the traffic, but then he may have thought I was already over to ny approach. Anyway app sounded like he was waiting for us, and cleared us to descend right away. So much for a perfect flight into lga.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A 320 CREW AND KING AIR HAD TCAS RA IN ZNY CLASS E.

Narrative: THE EVENTS HAPPENED BACK TO BACK. THE AIRBUS AND ACR X HAVE WEAKNESSES BUILT INTO THE FMC/AUTOFLT (AND I AM STILL RESPONSIBLE). BUT YOU HAVE TO REMAIN ON YOUR TOES TO PREVENT THE SHORT COMINGS OF THE FMC. WAS ON THE ARR TO LGA. CLRED TO CROSS MARCS AT 18000 FT, GOT ATIS AND LGA SHOOTING THE EXPRESSWAY APP 31, I WAS HEAD DOWN BUILDING THE APP (ACR X) DOESN'T PROVIDE ENOUGH MEMORY AND SO WE HAVE TO BUILT TO MANY APPS. IN ANY CASE IF YOU BUILD OR SELECT AN APP AFTER SELECTING A STAR WITH A XING ADDED THE XING SOMETIMES POPS OUT AND ALWAYS (AIRBUS BAD DESIGN). SO THE FO MISSED AS I DID THAT THE XING DROPPED OUT. I NOTICED IT AND SAW WE WERE TO HIGH, ASK CTR FOR RELIEF AND GOT IT, THIS THEN SET A FEW NEW XINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE PROGRAMMED/AND WHILE DIDN'T FEEL TOO RUSHED, MISSED A FREQ CHANGE, AFTER SEVERAL CALLS ( OR JUST ONE MORE) TOOK THE NEW FREQ, BUT NOT BEFORE WE GOT A TCAS RA WHILE LEVEL AT 10000 FT DESCENDING TO 9000 FT. RETURNED TO 10000 FT. KING AIR APPEARED TO BE VFR DOWN TO 10500FT. CTR DIDN'T CALL THE TFC, BUT THEN HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT I WAS ALREADY OVER TO NY APCH. ANYWAY APP SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS WAITING FOR US, AND CLRED US TO DESCEND RIGHT AWAY. SO MUCH FOR A PERFECT FLT INTO LGA.

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.