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B737 at 3500 ft being vectored to mia experienced TCASII RA with aircraft on final to parallel runways.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 620736 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200406 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mia.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mia.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mia.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 620736 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 1500 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Flight from clt to mia, told to expect runway 9. Vectored downwind north of airport then vector on base leg across final for runway 8. Given descent from 4000 ft to 1500 ft. We were in and out of clouds. Controller warned/advised MD80 traffic on final that he was crossing us in front of him. He then advised us of the MD80. We were in cloud at the time. He (the controller) then asked the MD80 if he had us in sight, the MD80 replied no, but he had us on TCASII. The first officer was flying and I was monitoring. The controller gave our traffic range as 4-5 mi but I was becoming concerned with a TCASII target closer to 2 1/2 mi. Just as I was about to say something to the controller, he turned us to 120 degrees, with that we got a TA, followed immediately by an RA, 'monitor vertical speed.' vsi was illuminated in a red band from approximately a 2000 FPM climb down to 6000 FPM descent. No green lights. As the closest area not in the red was a climb I began to initiate one, at that time the first officer saw the MD80 come out of a cloud directly ahead of us descending through our altitude, the horizontal separation was 1/2 mi or less. We continued our pull up and turned right behind the MD80. We reported the RA to ATC. The controller sounded a little bewildered, stating he thought we each had a visual. Perhaps he misunderstood the MD80's 'I got him on TCASII,' for 'I got him.' my first officer, who sighted MD80 just as turn to 120 degrees was given, is sure we would have collided had we not pulled up, turned behind MD80 when we did. I believe the turn to 120 degrees confused the TCASII causing it to try to recompute its RA. Why ATC turned us to 120 degrees makes no sense. If we had taken the turn, collision would have been unavoidable. I truly believe the controller thought the MD80 had a visual on us. When the MD80 pilot said 'I got him on TCASII' I believe all the controller heard was 'I got him.'
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 AT 3500 FT BEING VECTORED TO MIA EXPERIENCED TCASII RA WITH ACFT ON FINAL TO PARALLEL RWYS.
Narrative: FLT FROM CLT TO MIA, TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 9. VECTORED DOWNWIND N OF ARPT THEN VECTOR ON BASE LEG ACROSS FINAL FOR RWY 8. GIVEN DSCNT FROM 4000 FT TO 1500 FT. WE WERE IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS. CTLR WARNED/ADVISED MD80 TFC ON FINAL THAT HE WAS XING US IN FRONT OF HIM. HE THEN ADVISED US OF THE MD80. WE WERE IN CLOUD AT THE TIME. HE (THE CTLR) THEN ASKED THE MD80 IF HE HAD US IN SIGHT, THE MD80 REPLIED NO, BUT HE HAD US ON TCASII. THE FO WAS FLYING AND I WAS MONITORING. THE CTLR GAVE OUR TFC RANGE AS 4-5 MI BUT I WAS BECOMING CONCERNED WITH A TCASII TARGET CLOSER TO 2 1/2 MI. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING TO THE CTLR, HE TURNED US TO 120 DEGS, WITH THAT WE GOT A TA, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY AN RA, 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' VSI WAS ILLUMINATED IN A RED BAND FROM APPROX A 2000 FPM CLB DOWN TO 6000 FPM DSCNT. NO GREEN LIGHTS. AS THE CLOSEST AREA NOT IN THE RED WAS A CLB I BEGAN TO INITIATE ONE, AT THAT TIME THE FO SAW THE MD80 COME OUT OF A CLOUD DIRECTLY AHEAD OF US DSNDING THROUGH OUR ALT, THE HORIZ SEPARATION WAS 1/2 MI OR LESS. WE CONTINUED OUR PULL UP AND TURNED RIGHT BEHIND THE MD80. WE RPTED THE RA TO ATC. THE CTLR SOUNDED A LITTLE BEWILDERED, STATING HE THOUGHT WE EACH HAD A VISUAL. PERHAPS HE MISUNDERSTOOD THE MD80'S 'I GOT HIM ON TCASII,' FOR 'I GOT HIM.' MY FO, WHO SIGHTED MD80 JUST AS TURN TO 120 DEGS WAS GIVEN, IS SURE WE WOULD HAVE COLLIDED HAD WE NOT PULLED UP, TURNED BEHIND MD80 WHEN WE DID. I BELIEVE THE TURN TO 120 DEGS CONFUSED THE TCASII CAUSING IT TO TRY TO RECOMPUTE ITS RA. WHY ATC TURNED US TO 120 DEGS MAKES NO SENSE. IF WE HAD TAKEN THE TURN, COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN UNAVOIDABLE. I TRULY BELIEVE THE CTLR THOUGHT THE MD80 HAD A VISUAL ON US. WHEN THE MD80 PLT SAID 'I GOT HIM ON TCASII' I BELIEVE ALL THE CTLR HEARD WAS 'I GOT HIM.'
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.