Md super 80 captain turned and continued climbing in response to a TCASII RA and visual sighting of ...

Attributes
ACN	556750
Time
Date	200208
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mzb.vortac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	556750
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 2000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During climb out, we were instructed by ATC to maintain visual contact with the traffic in front of us and we were cleared directly to peble intersection (peble departure). I believe that initially I had visual contact with the traffic but lost sight of it during the climb. Looking back, I don't even know for sure whether or not I really heard the clearance to 'maintain visual with the traffic' or whether my small brain actually processed it, because when I saw the traffic it was a surprise. My copilot said he had visual contact the entire time and in his judgement, it was never a factor. Probably, due to a high overtake speed, by the time I acquired the traffic visually and noticed it on the TCASII we were within an estimated 2-3 mi. I made a left turn and continued the climb. At about this point we received an RA that said 'descend' but in my judgement, it was much safer to continue the climb. The traffic passed off to our right and the copilot estimated we had 1/2 mi horizontal and 1000-3000 ft vertical.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD SUPER 80 CAPT TURNED AND CONTINUED CLBING IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA AND VISUAL SIGHTING OF CONFLICTING TFC.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT, WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC IN FRONT OF US AND WE WERE CLRED DIRECTLY TO PEBLE INTXN (PEBLE DEP). I BELIEVE THAT INITIALLY I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC BUT LOST SIGHT OF IT DURING THE CLB. LOOKING BACK, I DON'T EVEN KNOW FOR SURE WHETHER OR NOT I REALLY HEARD THE CLRNC TO 'MAINTAIN VISUAL WITH THE TFC' OR WHETHER MY SMALL BRAIN ACTUALLY PROCESSED IT, BECAUSE WHEN I SAW THE TFC IT WAS A SURPRISE. MY COPLT SAID HE HAD VISUAL CONTACT THE ENTIRE TIME AND IN HIS JUDGEMENT, IT WAS NEVER A FACTOR. PROBABLY, DUE TO A HIGH OVERTAKE SPD, BY THE TIME I ACQUIRED THE TFC VISUALLY AND NOTICED IT ON THE TCASII WE WERE WITHIN AN ESTIMATED 2-3 MI. I MADE A L TURN AND CONTINUED THE CLB. AT ABOUT THIS POINT WE RECEIVED AN RA THAT SAID 'DSND' BUT IN MY JUDGEMENT, IT WAS MUCH SAFER TO CONTINUE THE CLB. THE TFC PASSED OFF TO OUR R AND THE COPLT ESTIMATED WE HAD 1/2 MI HORIZ AND 1000-3000 FT VERT.

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.

Md super 80 captain turned and continued climbing in response to a TCASII RA and visual sighting of conflicting traffic.