P50 TRACON controller reported an aircraft on the EAGUL4 arrival responded to an RA while outside cl...

Narrative:

A B737 was descending on the EAGUL4 arrival. During the descent just northeast of the geeno intersection the B737 advised they were responding to a TCAS/RA. At that time I and the trainee noticed there was a VFR target at 11;500 ft; approximately 500 ft just to the 3 o'clock position of the B737 and moving east bound. It appeared the aircraft passed behind the B737. The B737 advised it would continue descending via the EAGUL4 arrival.because of new RNAV arrivals at phoenix sky harbor airport; the aircraft on the RNAV arrivals are kept outside of the class B airspace until they are almost abeam the airport on the downwind. The previous RNAV arrivals were designed to stay inside the class B airspace much farther out from the airport and provide a greater amount of protection to the air carrier aircraft. Now the aircraft are much higher and outside the bravo airspace where there is a large amount of VFR traffic that is avoiding the class B airspace; and in turn now a bigger factor to the air carrier aircraft. Either changing the class B airspace to match the new arrivals or changing the arrivals to more closely align with the class B airspace would be the only solutions to this problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P50 TRACON Controller reported an aircraft on the EAGUL4 arrival responded to an RA while outside Class B airspace. Reporter stated new procedures do not contain arrivals within Class B as well as prior procedures.

Narrative: A B737 was descending on the EAGUL4 arrival. During the descent just northeast of the GEENO Intersection the B737 advised they were responding to a TCAS/RA. At that time I and the trainee noticed there was a VFR target at 11;500 FT; approximately 500 FT just to the 3 o'clock position of the B737 and moving east bound. It appeared the aircraft passed behind the B737. The B737 advised it would continue descending via the EAGUL4 arrival.Because of new RNAV arrivals at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport; the aircraft on the RNAV arrivals are kept outside of the Class B airspace until they are almost abeam the airport on the downwind. The previous RNAV arrivals were designed to stay inside the Class B airspace much farther out from the airport and provide a greater amount of protection to the air carrier aircraft. Now the aircraft are much higher and outside the Bravo airspace where there is a large amount of VFR traffic that is avoiding the class B airspace; and in turn now a bigger factor to the air carrier aircraft. Either changing the Class B airspace to match the new arrivals or changing the arrivals to more closely align with the Class B airspace would be the only solutions to this problem.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	931025
Time
Date	201102
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	PHX.Airport
State Reference	AZ
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Descent
Route In Use	STAR EAGUL4
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	None
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Approach
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	Conflict Airborne Conflict

P50 TRACON controller reported an aircraft on the EAGUL4 arrival responded to an RA while outside class B airspace. Reporter stated new procedures do not contain arrivals within class B as well as prior procedures.