B757 flight crew is distracted by TCAS RA from aircraft on parallel runway and fails to recall or de...

Attributes
ACN	757101
Time
Date	200710
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mco.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco.tracon tower : mco.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 17l
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp technician : inspection authority
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9100 flight time type : 4600
ASRS Report	757101
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Miss Distance	horizontal : 5000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Navigational Facility Airport
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility

Narrative:

This narrative contains 2 events that are related. First is a TCAS RA event and second a false glidepath intercept. During vectors for approach to runway 17L at mco; aircraft was on a r-hand base. Approach turned aircraft from 090 degree heading to 120 degree heading and descended aircraft from 6000 ft to 5000 ft. Approximately 500 ft above leveloff TCAS RA commanded no further descent. Leveled and slightly climbed aircraft to avoid conflict. Conflict aircraft was at 5000 ft and between us and the airport. Current conditions were IMC. Advised ATC of TCAS climb and continued with vectors when clear of conflict. Received a final vector to runway 17L and were cleared for the ILS runway 17L approach to intercept at 4000 ft. Aircraft was being flown with the autoplt on and intercepted localizer; started to descend to 4000 ft for glidepath intercept. Next the aircraft leveled and actually climbed to intercept glidepath. All cockpit instrument signals and displays normal. Crew discussed situation and began xchking altitude for fixes on the approach in the FMS. At that time tower advised aircraft was high and western airport runways came into view also indicating aircraft above a normal glidepath. Tower cleared aircraft to 1500 ft. During this descent visual conditions were encountered and PAPI lights used to establish normal glidepath. Landing was uneventful. After aircraft was parked the crew discussed the situation and both agreed that we were distraction during the approach by the TCAS RA that had occurred right before approach clearance. Also; determined that runway 17L glidepath was reported unreliable on ATIS; but aircraft was cleared for the runway 17L ILS approach with no mention of this situation. If the approach clearance had occurred independent of the TCAS conflict; I am confident that the crew would have picked up on the improper clearance and avoided any potential glidepath errors. The lesson learned is to leave any problems that happened in the past behind you and focus on the present.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW IS DISTRACTED BY TCAS RA FROM ACFT ON PARALLEL RWY AND FAILS TO RECALL OR DETECT THAT THE GS IS UNRELIABLE WHEN CLEARED FOR THE ILS 17L AT MCO. FLT CREW'S LATE DESCENT CATCHES THE CONTROLLER'S ATTENTION AND A SAFE LANDING ENSUES.

Narrative: THIS NARRATIVE CONTAINS 2 EVENTS THAT ARE RELATED. FIRST IS A TCAS RA EVENT AND SECOND A FALSE GLIDEPATH INTERCEPT. DURING VECTORS FOR APCH TO RWY 17L AT MCO; ACFT WAS ON A R-HAND BASE. APCH TURNED ACFT FROM 090 DEG HDG TO 120 DEG HDG AND DSNDED ACFT FROM 6000 FT TO 5000 FT. APPROX 500 FT ABOVE LEVELOFF TCAS RA COMMANDED NO FURTHER DSCNT. LEVELED AND SLIGHTLY CLBED ACFT TO AVOID CONFLICT. CONFLICT ACFT WAS AT 5000 FT AND BTWN US AND THE ARPT. CURRENT CONDITIONS WERE IMC. ADVISED ATC OF TCAS CLB AND CONTINUED WITH VECTORS WHEN CLR OF CONFLICT. RECEIVED A FINAL VECTOR TO RWY 17L AND WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 17L APCH TO INTERCEPT AT 4000 FT. ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN WITH THE AUTOPLT ON AND INTERCEPTED LOC; STARTED TO DSND TO 4000 FT FOR GLIDEPATH INTERCEPT. NEXT THE ACFT LEVELED AND ACTUALLY CLBED TO INTERCEPT GLIDEPATH. ALL COCKPIT INST SIGNALS AND DISPLAYS NORMAL. CREW DISCUSSED SITUATION AND BEGAN XCHKING ALT FOR FIXES ON THE APCH IN THE FMS. AT THAT TIME TWR ADVISED ACFT WAS HIGH AND WESTERN ARPT RWYS CAME INTO VIEW ALSO INDICATING ACFT ABOVE A NORMAL GLIDEPATH. TWR CLRED ACFT TO 1500 FT. DURING THIS DSCNT VISUAL CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED AND PAPI LIGHTS USED TO ESTABLISH NORMAL GLIDEPATH. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER ACFT WAS PARKED THE CREW DISCUSSED THE SITUATION AND BOTH AGREED THAT WE WERE DISTR DURING THE APCH BY THE TCAS RA THAT HAD OCCURRED RIGHT BEFORE APCH CLRNC. ALSO; DETERMINED THAT RWY 17L GLIDEPATH WAS RPTED UNRELIABLE ON ATIS; BUT ACFT WAS CLRED FOR THE RWY 17L ILS APCH WITH NO MENTION OF THIS SITUATION. IF THE APCH CLRNC HAD OCCURRED INDEPENDENT OF THE TCAS CONFLICT; I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE CREW WOULD HAVE PICKED UP ON THE IMPROPER CLRNC AND AVOIDED ANY POTENTIAL GLIDEPATH ERRORS. THE LESSON LEARNED IS TO LEAVE ANY PROBS THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST BEHIND YOU AND FOCUS ON THE PRESENT.

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.

B757 flight crew is distracted by TCAS RA from aircraft on parallel runway and fails to recall or detect that the GS is unreliable when cleared for the ILS 17L at mco. Flight crew's late descent catches the controller's attention and a safe landing ensues.