Narrative:

On approach phase into atl airport; the first officer was the PF and I was the pilot monitoring. We were a 4 pilot crew and each was on a headset monitoring ATC. We were given a base leg 4 NM north of runway 8L and instructed to maintain 6000 ft and 210 KIAS. We were asked by ATC if we had a visual on final traffic landing on runway 8L. We replied in the affirmative and were given a subsequent turn to 210 degrees and a descent to 5000 ft. ATC asked if we still had traffic in sight and I replied in the affirmative. ATC gave us a heading change to 110 degrees and a speed reduction to 170 KIAS and cleared us for the visual approach to runway 8L. I maintained a visual out the l-hand window on the traffic as the first officer began his turn to 110 degrees. The aircraft confign at that time was flaps 5 degrees. The captain occupying the jumpseat noted out the right side an MD88 closing on our position and advised us of a possible conflict. I turned to assess the situation at the same instant that we received an RA to descend. The first officer disengaged the autoplt; increased the bank angle significantly and began a descent to 3500 ft. The aircraft was turned to a heading of 360 degrees and a clear of conflict advisory was issued. I contacted atl approach and inquired as to what altitude and heading they wished us to assume. They asked if we still had the runway in sight to which we replied in the affirmative. We were then cleared for a visual to runway 8L and an uneventful landing was made. Supplemental information from acn 719450: this event involved flying through the localizer course to runway 8L in; resulting in a TCAS RA. We were given an ATC downwind heading of 210 degrees; speed 210 KTS; and altitude of 6000 ft. Rj traffic was called out by approach; which we acknowledged. Shortly after; we were directed to turn to heading 110 degrees; descent to 5000 ft; and cleared for the visual. Still on automation; I set the altitude and heading in the MCP and did not arm approach mode; wanting to wait until we were on an intercept heading to the localizer course. About this time; the captain noticed another aircraft out the right window; then the relief pilot mentioned that we were going through the localizer course and approach control asked if we were going to make the localizer. I disengaged the autoplt to steepen the bank angle; then we had an RA directing us to descend. I disengaged the autothrusts; pulled the thrust levers to idle and followed the RA until cleared of the conflict. We leveled at 3500 ft and decided to remain configured at flaps 5 degrees. Approach control gave us a heading of 360 degrees. I began the turn and reengaged the autothrusts and the captain asked approach for an altitude. Approach asked if we could still make the field and we confirmed and acknowledged that it was safe to do so. The approach and landing hat followed was uneventful. Though we followed the instructions from approach control; as PF I could have been more proactive in analyzing my airspeed; altitude; confign; and automation; with regard to the close proximity to the localizer course as a result of the tight vectoring to final by approach control. Events were exacerbated by an unfavorable northerly wind at pattern altitude. One further note is that; though we were VMC and not in any danger of colliding with the other traffic; the TCAS worked flawlessly -- this event was a great confidence builder in its traffic/collision avoidance capabilities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 CREW GETS TCAS RA AFTER OVERSHOOTING LOC ON VISUAL APCH TO PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: ON APCH PHASE INTO ATL ARPT; THE FO WAS THE PF AND I WAS THE PLT MONITORING. WE WERE A 4 PLT CREW AND EACH WAS ON A HEADSET MONITORING ATC. WE WERE GIVEN A BASE LEG 4 NM N OF RWY 8L AND INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 6000 FT AND 210 KIAS. WE WERE ASKED BY ATC IF WE HAD A VISUAL ON FINAL TFC LNDG ON RWY 8L. WE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND WERE GIVEN A SUBSEQUENT TURN TO 210 DEGS AND A DSCNT TO 5000 FT. ATC ASKED IF WE STILL HAD TFC IN SIGHT AND I REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. ATC GAVE US A HDG CHANGE TO 110 DEGS AND A SPD REDUCTION TO 170 KIAS AND CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8L. I MAINTAINED A VISUAL OUT THE L-HAND WINDOW ON THE TFC AS THE FO BEGAN HIS TURN TO 110 DEGS. THE ACFT CONFIGN AT THAT TIME WAS FLAPS 5 DEGS. THE CAPT OCCUPYING THE JUMPSEAT NOTED OUT THE R SIDE AN MD88 CLOSING ON OUR POS AND ADVISED US OF A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. I TURNED TO ASSESS THE SIT AT THE SAME INSTANT THAT WE RECEIVED AN RA TO DSND. THE FO DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT; INCREASED THE BANK ANGLE SIGNIFICANTLY AND BEGAN A DSCNT TO 3500 FT. THE ACFT WAS TURNED TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS AND A CLR OF CONFLICT ADVISORY WAS ISSUED. I CONTACTED ATL APCH AND INQUIRED AS TO WHAT ALT AND HDG THEY WISHED US TO ASSUME. THEY ASKED IF WE STILL HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT TO WHICH WE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 8L AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 719450: THIS EVENT INVOLVED FLYING THROUGH THE LOC COURSE TO RWY 8L IN; RESULTING IN A TCAS RA. WE WERE GIVEN AN ATC DOWNWIND HDG OF 210 DEGS; SPD 210 KTS; AND ALT OF 6000 FT. RJ TFC WAS CALLED OUT BY APCH; WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED. SHORTLY AFTER; WE WERE DIRECTED TO TURN TO HDG 110 DEGS; DSCNT TO 5000 FT; AND CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. STILL ON AUTOMATION; I SET THE ALT AND HDG IN THE MCP AND DID NOT ARM APCH MODE; WANTING TO WAIT UNTIL WE WERE ON AN INTERCEPT HDG TO THE LOC COURSE. ABOUT THIS TIME; THE CAPT NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT OUT THE R WINDOW; THEN THE RELIEF PLT MENTIONED THAT WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE LOC COURSE AND APCH CTL ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE LOC. I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT TO STEEPEN THE BANK ANGLE; THEN WE HAD AN RA DIRECTING US TO DSND. I DISENGAGED THE AUTOTHRUSTS; PULLED THE THRUST LEVERS TO IDLE AND FOLLOWED THE RA UNTIL CLRED OF THE CONFLICT. WE LEVELED AT 3500 FT AND DECIDED TO REMAIN CONFIGURED AT FLAPS 5 DEGS. APCH CTL GAVE US A HDG OF 360 DEGS. I BEGAN THE TURN AND REENGAGED THE AUTOTHRUSTS AND THE CAPT ASKED APCH FOR AN ALT. APCH ASKED IF WE COULD STILL MAKE THE FIELD AND WE CONFIRMED AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO. THE APCH AND LNDG HAT FOLLOWED WAS UNEVENTFUL. THOUGH WE FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH CTL; AS PF I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROACTIVE IN ANALYZING MY AIRSPD; ALT; CONFIGN; AND AUTOMATION; WITH REGARD TO THE CLOSE PROX TO THE LOC COURSE AS A RESULT OF THE TIGHT VECTORING TO FINAL BY APCH CTL. EVENTS WERE EXACERBATED BY AN UNFAVORABLE NORTHERLY WIND AT PATTERN ALT. ONE FURTHER NOTE IS THAT; THOUGH WE WERE VMC AND NOT IN ANY DANGER OF COLLIDING WITH THE OTHER TFC; THE TCAS WORKED FLAWLESSLY -- THIS EVENT WAS A GREAT CONFIDENCE BUILDER IN ITS TFC/COLLISION AVOIDANCE CAPABILITIES.

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.