Narrative:

While flying the kingston 8 arrival into jfk; we experienced an near midair collision over lga. We executed the TCAS RA and avoided the intruder aircraft. Background: after an initial clearance to cross the lendy intersection at FL190; we were cleared to descend to 13000 ft and depart lga heading 150 degrees. As we approached lga from the northwest; we noticed a TCAS target on an intercept course from our 2 O'clock position. That target was below us; but was climbing as we descended. The TCAS sounded a TA; then quickly converted to an RA; commanding us to climb. I quickly disconnected the autoplt and arrested our descent and smoothly transitioned to climb in accordance with the RA. The first officer had been visually searching for the target with no luck until the last moment -- when he saw a single engine GA aircraft pass below our right wingtip at approximately 500 ft horizontal and 300 ft vertical separation. I never saw the target (possibly a cirrus?). The ATC controller called pop-up 'VFR' traffic just as we were executing the RA. The first officer responded 'we're already climbing with an RA.' the controller replied 'he's still climbing too.' the incident was over in seconds and we resumed our descent with an uneventful landing at jfk. In deplaning; no passenger made any comment and the flight attendant said she believes that no one noticed an abnormality. My first officer was very diligent in his traffic scanning; but the target aircraft was just too small; flying head on; and was masked below in the patterns of the city. Our CRM and TCAS response training helped contribute to a rapid; appropriate response to the threat.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ACFT DSNDING INTO JFK RESPONDED TO A TCAS RA. THE FLT HAD A NMAC WITH VFR TFC AT 17500 FT THAT ATC CALLED AS LATE TFC.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING THE KINGSTON 8 ARR INTO JFK; WE EXPERIENCED AN NMAC OVER LGA. WE EXECUTED THE TCAS RA AND AVOIDED THE INTRUDER ACFT. BACKGROUND: AFTER AN INITIAL CLRNC TO CROSS THE LENDY INTXN AT FL190; WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 13000 FT AND DEPART LGA HDG 150 DEGS. AS WE APCHED LGA FROM THE NW; WE NOTICED A TCAS TARGET ON AN INTERCEPT COURSE FROM OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS. THAT TARGET WAS BELOW US; BUT WAS CLBING AS WE DSNDED. THE TCAS SOUNDED A TA; THEN QUICKLY CONVERTED TO AN RA; COMMANDING US TO CLB. I QUICKLY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND ARRESTED OUR DSCNT AND SMOOTHLY TRANSITIONED TO CLB IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RA. THE FO HAD BEEN VISUALLY SEARCHING FOR THE TARGET WITH NO LUCK UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT -- WHEN HE SAW A SINGLE ENG GA ACFT PASS BELOW OUR R WINGTIP AT APPROX 500 FT HORIZ AND 300 FT VERT SEPARATION. I NEVER SAW THE TARGET (POSSIBLY A CIRRUS?). THE ATC CTLR CALLED POP-UP 'VFR' TFC JUST AS WE WERE EXECUTING THE RA. THE FO RESPONDED 'WE'RE ALREADY CLBING WITH AN RA.' THE CTLR REPLIED 'HE'S STILL CLBING TOO.' THE INCIDENT WAS OVER IN SECONDS AND WE RESUMED OUR DSCNT WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT JFK. IN DEPLANING; NO PAX MADE ANY COMMENT AND THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID SHE BELIEVES THAT NO ONE NOTICED AN ABNORMALITY. MY FO WAS VERY DILIGENT IN HIS TFC SCANNING; BUT THE TARGET ACFT WAS JUST TOO SMALL; FLYING HEAD ON; AND WAS MASKED BELOW IN THE PATTERNS OF THE CITY. OUR CRM AND TCAS RESPONSE TRAINING HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO A RAPID; APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THE THREAT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.