A B737 crew, descending into sjc, responded to a climb RA from TCASII.

Attributes
ACN	556553
Time
Date	200208
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjc.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : o90.tracon tower : oma.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : o90.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	556553
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	vertical : 1200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After handoff to sjc approach control, we intercepted the runway 30R VOR course for course guidance to sjc and were asked to report the field. Captain was PF. Outside finor at about 5000 ft, we could clearly see the sjc runways and reported field in sight. Approach control then cleared us for a visual approach and shortly after reported a centurion, opposite direction and climbing as traffic. Since we did not have the traffic in sight we acknowledged and the first officer requested the controller to 'keep us advised.' not long after we received a 'climb, climb' RA which I complied with. I glanced at the situation display and believe the target information was 1200 ft below us and climbing, displayed in yellow. We had been in a significant descent rate to meet our VNAV descent profile. TCASII advised 'clear of conflict' a moment before approach called to tell us the traffic was no factor. First officer advised the controller that TCASII had activated and we continued approach and landed without incident the TCASII software and hardware was our last line of defense in this potential midair collision, although I cannot say for sure how close our aircraft came to each other. I never got a visual on the conflicting traffic. On reflection, I wish I had requested avoidance vectors or delayed descent until past the traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CREW, DSNDING INTO SJC, RESPONDED TO A CLB RA FROM TCASII.

Narrative: AFTER HDOF TO SJC APCH CTL, WE INTERCEPTED THE RWY 30R VOR COURSE FOR COURSE GUIDANCE TO SJC AND WERE ASKED TO RPT THE FIELD. CAPT WAS PF. OUTSIDE FINOR AT ABOUT 5000 FT, WE COULD CLRLY SEE THE SJC RWYS AND RPTED FIELD IN SIGHT. APCH CTL THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH AND SHORTLY AFTER RPTED A CENTURION, OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND CLBING AS TFC. SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND THE FO REQUESTED THE CTLR TO 'KEEP US ADVISED.' NOT LONG AFTER WE RECEIVED A 'CLB, CLB' RA WHICH I COMPLIED WITH. I GLANCED AT THE SIT DISPLAY AND BELIEVE THE TARGET INFO WAS 1200 FT BELOW US AND CLBING, DISPLAYED IN YELLOW. WE HAD BEEN IN A SIGNIFICANT DSCNT RATE TO MEET OUR VNAV DSCNT PROFILE. TCASII ADVISED 'CLR OF CONFLICT' A MOMENT BEFORE APCH CALLED TO TELL US THE TFC WAS NO FACTOR. FO ADVISED THE CTLR THAT TCASII HAD ACTIVATED AND WE CONTINUED APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT THE TCASII SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE WAS OUR LAST LINE OF DEFENSE IN THIS POTENTIAL MIDAIR COLLISION, ALTHOUGH I CANNOT SAY FOR SURE HOW CLOSE OUR ACFT CAME TO EACH OTHER. I NEVER GOT A VISUAL ON THE CONFLICTING TFC. ON REFLECTION, I WISH I HAD REQUESTED AVOIDANCE VECTORS OR DELAYED DSCNT UNTIL PAST THE TFC.

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.