Narrative:

During a normal descent on the kayoh 4 arrival into sna; approach control gave us a descent to 10000 ft. We complied with the descent and then approach gave us a vector from dawna intersection. Shortly after leveling at 10000 ft; approach called us and said 'air carrier X; you have a light civil aircraft at 1-2 O'clock position at 9500 ft; 4 mi.' the copilot responded to approach that we were looking. At that time we were level at 10000 ft and did not have the traffic in sight or on the radar. Approximately 1 min later; the traffic popped up on our radar screen at our 1 O'clock position showing 9800 ft; climbing. At the same time our TCAS RA alert sounded and I initiated the TCAS avoidance procedure following a 'climb' alert. We never received a TA alert. The copilot advised approach that we had an RA and were initiating a climb in compliance with the procedure. We continued with the avoidance until the TCAS advised 'monitor vertical speed' and then 'clear of conflict.' we leveled off at 11000 ft and told approach what had happened. We were then cleared down to 10000 ft and cleared to the kayoh intersection to continue the arrival. The remaining portion of the flight and landing were uneventful. After landing; I asked the copilot to call approach and try to get the civil aircraft side number. He idented himself as a supervisor. He asked me how he could be of help and I idented myself to him and explained the situation and then asked for the civil aircraft side number because I was required to make a report. He then went into explaining that they have things like this happen all the time out here and since we were descending and the light aircraft was at 9500 ft things like this could happen. I asked him if he had listened to the tapes and he said no; that that was another supervisor and he had talked with that supervisor about it. The other supervisor told him that we were descending and that the other aircraft was at 9500 ft and that's why it happened. At that point I got a little irritated because I felt like he was just deflecting what had happened. I then said 'hey pal; I listened to what you said now I would appreciate it if you would listen to me. We were not descending; we were level and when the aircraft popped up on our screen he was at 9800 ft and climbing. The RA alert sounds and at that point I have no choice but to follow the procedures. I have been flying in and out of here for the last 15 yrs and never had an RA alert.' he said back; 'then you must not fly in and out of here a lot because we have them all the time with all the civilian traffic.' at this point I told him; 'the min I initiated the RA avoidance procedure I have no choice but to make a safety report.' he never gave me the aircraft side number of the light civil traffic. I believe a simple vector could have avoided the entire conflict. The reason I am explaining all the above is if they are having many RA's in and around orange county; maybe someone needs to take a look at revising the procedures or updating equipment which will give the controllers more real time information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 INBOUND TO SNA EXPERIENCED TCAS RA WITH ISSUED VFR TFC AT 10000 FT.

Narrative: DURING A NORMAL DSCNT ON THE KAYOH 4 ARR INTO SNA; APCH CTL GAVE US A DSCNT TO 10000 FT. WE COMPLIED WITH THE DSCNT AND THEN APCH GAVE US A VECTOR FROM DAWNA INTXN. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT 10000 FT; APCH CALLED US AND SAID 'ACR X; YOU HAVE A LIGHT CIVIL ACFT AT 1-2 O'CLOCK POS AT 9500 FT; 4 MI.' THE COPLT RESPONDED TO APCH THAT WE WERE LOOKING. AT THAT TIME WE WERE LEVEL AT 10000 FT AND DID NOT HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT OR ON THE RADAR. APPROX 1 MIN LATER; THE TFC POPPED UP ON OUR RADAR SCREEN AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS SHOWING 9800 FT; CLBING. AT THE SAME TIME OUR TCAS RA ALERT SOUNDED AND I INITIATED THE TCAS AVOIDANCE PROC FOLLOWING A 'CLB' ALERT. WE NEVER RECEIVED A TA ALERT. THE COPLT ADVISED APCH THAT WE HAD AN RA AND WERE INITIATING A CLB IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROC. WE CONTINUED WITH THE AVOIDANCE UNTIL THE TCAS ADVISED 'MONITOR VERT SPD' AND THEN 'CLR OF CONFLICT.' WE LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT AND TOLD APCH WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE WERE THEN CLRED DOWN TO 10000 FT AND CLRED TO THE KAYOH INTXN TO CONTINUE THE ARR. THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE FLT AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG; I ASKED THE COPLT TO CALL APCH AND TRY TO GET THE CIVIL ACFT SIDE NUMBER. HE IDENTED HIMSELF AS A SUPVR. HE ASKED ME HOW HE COULD BE OF HELP AND I IDENTED MYSELF TO HIM AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND THEN ASKED FOR THE CIVIL ACFT SIDE NUMBER BECAUSE I WAS REQUIRED TO MAKE A RPT. HE THEN WENT INTO EXPLAINING THAT THEY HAVE THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME OUT HERE AND SINCE WE WERE DSNDING AND THE LIGHT ACFT WAS AT 9500 FT THINGS LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN. I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND HE SAID NO; THAT THAT WAS ANOTHER SUPVR AND HE HAD TALKED WITH THAT SUPVR ABOUT IT. THE OTHER SUPVR TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE DSNDING AND THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS AT 9500 FT AND THAT'S WHY IT HAPPENED. AT THAT POINT I GOT A LITTLE IRRITATED BECAUSE I FELT LIKE HE WAS JUST DEFLECTING WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I THEN SAID 'HEY PAL; I LISTENED TO WHAT YOU SAID NOW I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD LISTEN TO ME. WE WERE NOT DSNDING; WE WERE LEVEL AND WHEN THE ACFT POPPED UP ON OUR SCREEN HE WAS AT 9800 FT AND CLBING. THE RA ALERT SOUNDS AND AT THAT POINT I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FOLLOW THE PROCS. I HAVE BEEN FLYING IN AND OUT OF HERE FOR THE LAST 15 YRS AND NEVER HAD AN RA ALERT.' HE SAID BACK; 'THEN YOU MUST NOT FLY IN AND OUT OF HERE A LOT BECAUSE WE HAVE THEM ALL THE TIME WITH ALL THE CIVILIAN TFC.' AT THIS POINT I TOLD HIM; 'THE MIN I INITIATED THE RA AVOIDANCE PROC I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO MAKE A SAFETY RPT.' HE NEVER GAVE ME THE ACFT SIDE NUMBER OF THE LIGHT CIVIL TFC. I BELIEVE A SIMPLE VECTOR COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE ENTIRE CONFLICT. THE REASON I AM EXPLAINING ALL THE ABOVE IS IF THEY ARE HAVING MANY RA'S IN AND AROUND ORANGE COUNTY; MAYBE SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK AT REVISING THE PROCS OR UPDATING EQUIP WHICH WILL GIVE THE CTLRS MORE REAL TIME INFO.

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.