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F900 first officer reports the captain failed to follow a TCAS climb RA received while he was absent from the cockpit for physiological reasons. Upon return to the flight deck; he noted the aircraft in a descent towards traffic while TCAS was commanding a climb.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 665551 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200507 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : elp.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 38000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc tower : vny.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Falcon 900 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 5 |
| ASRS Report | 665551 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was away from my station relieving myself and getting lunch when I heard 'traffic; traffic.' I returned to the flight deck to hear 'climb; climb' and noticed an aircraft marked on the TCAS 100 ft below us. I immediately said 'that aircraft is below us' as the captain continued to descend. I did not have a head set on nor was I able to hear any of the captain/controller conversations. I was dismayed that the RA was 'climb; climb' and that the captain was doing the opposite. I was able to return to my station at this point and noticed that the controller was relieved. We were then given a number to call ZAB. When we called; ATC informed us that we had 80% separation and that he had the option to forgo action and that he was going to forgo action. He then recounted the incident and said that there was obvious confusion on both the captain's part and the controller and that the captain had mistaken another aircraft's instructions for his own. In my personal opinion; the captain could have queried the instruction first and then the most important thing to do when one receives an RA is to obey it. On my pat; I could have been more assertive as to my desire to have the RA obeyed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: F900 FO RPTS THE CAPT FAILED TO FOLLOW A TCAS CLB RA RECEIVED WHILE HE WAS ABSENT FROM THE COCKPIT FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL REASONS. UPON RETURN TO THE FLT DECK; HE NOTED THE ACFT IN A DSCNT TOWARDS TFC WHILE TCAS WAS COMMANDING A CLB.
Narrative: I WAS AWAY FROM MY STATION RELIEVING MYSELF AND GETTING LUNCH WHEN I HEARD 'TFC; TFC.' I RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK TO HEAR 'CLB; CLB' AND NOTICED AN ACFT MARKED ON THE TCAS 100 FT BELOW US. I IMMEDIATELY SAID 'THAT ACFT IS BELOW US' AS THE CAPT CONTINUED TO DSND. I DID NOT HAVE A HEAD SET ON NOR WAS I ABLE TO HEAR ANY OF THE CAPT/CTLR CONVERSATIONS. I WAS DISMAYED THAT THE RA WAS 'CLB; CLB' AND THAT THE CAPT WAS DOING THE OPPOSITE. I WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO MY STATION AT THIS POINT AND NOTICED THAT THE CTLR WAS RELIEVED. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A NUMBER TO CALL ZAB. WHEN WE CALLED; ATC INFORMED US THAT WE HAD 80% SEPARATION AND THAT HE HAD THE OPTION TO FORGO ACTION AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO FORGO ACTION. HE THEN RECOUNTED THE INCIDENT AND SAID THAT THERE WAS OBVIOUS CONFUSION ON BOTH THE CAPT'S PART AND THE CTLR AND THAT THE CAPT HAD MISTAKEN ANOTHER ACFT'S INSTRUCTIONS FOR HIS OWN. IN MY PERSONAL OPINION; THE CAPT COULD HAVE QUERIED THE INSTRUCTION FIRST AND THEN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO WHEN ONE RECEIVES AN RA IS TO OBEY IT. ON MY PAT; I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE ASSERTIVE AS TO MY DESIRE TO HAVE THE RA OBEYED.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.