A320 flight crew reports TCAS RA with VFR business jet at 12000 feet during departure from lga.

Attributes
ACN	751980
Time
Date	200708
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Light Transport Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4100
ASRS Report	751980
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	751981
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	vertical : 400
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

During climb out; ZNY cleared us to 16000 ft. At approximately 10500 ft; ATC issued a traffic alert at 2 O'clock position; 12500 ft not in contact with our ATC controller. ATC amended our clearance to 12000 ft for traffic. At 11800 ft our TCAS RA warning sounded 'descend; descend now' command. I immediately pushed the nose over and simultaneously manually reduced the thrust levers to idle disconnecting the autothrust. At approximately 10300 ft we were clear of conflict. We advised ATC of our descent RA and were reclred to 16000 ft. We estimate the proximity to be 300-400 ft to the small jet.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW REPORTS TCAS RA WITH VFR BUSINESS JET AT 12000 FEET DURING DEPARTURE FROM LGA.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT; ZNY CLRED US TO 16000 FT. AT APPROX 10500 FT; ATC ISSUED A TFC ALERT AT 2 O'CLOCK POS; 12500 FT NOT IN CONTACT WITH OUR ATC CTLR. ATC AMENDED OUR CLRNC TO 12000 FT FOR TFC. AT 11800 FT OUR TCAS RA WARNING SOUNDED 'DSND; DSND NOW' COMMAND. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND SIMULTANEOUSLY MANUALLY REDUCED THE THRUST LEVERS TO IDLE DISCONNECTING THE AUTOTHRUST. AT APPROX 10300 FT WE WERE CLR OF CONFLICT. WE ADVISED ATC OF OUR DSCNT RA AND WERE RECLRED TO 16000 FT. WE ESTIMATE THE PROX TO BE 300-400 FT TO THE SMALL JET.

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.