Narrative:

While flying a TACAN approach to runway 14 at hill air force base; we received a TCAS TA for an aircraft flying into ogden-hinckley airport. While both pilots were visually searching for the aircraft we inadvertently descended below our step down fix altitude prior to reaching the next fix. It is a regular occurrence to receive a TCAS advisory while on an instrument approach into hif with simultaneous instrument approaches in to ogd. The TCAS TA is distracting to pilots especially during VMC conditions because the pilots then try to visually acquire the other aircraft. The best solution to this issue would be to eliminate simultaneous approaches to both ogd and hif or at a minimum avoid having aircraft on short final into ogd and while having aircraft inbound hif on 4 to 6 mile final. Either of these solutions would minimize the TCAS advisories thus allowing the pilot to dedicate his full attention to the approach during this critical phase of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C-130 flight crew on a Tacan approach to Runway 14 at HIF experience a TCAS TA on traffic approaching Runway 3 at OGD. The distraction results in deviating below the 5;700 FT minimum altitude required for that segment of the approach and is detected by ATC.

Narrative: While flying a TACAN approach to Runway 14 at Hill Air Force Base; we received a TCAS TA for an aircraft flying into Ogden-Hinckley airport. While both pilots were visually searching for the aircraft we inadvertently descended below our step down fix altitude prior to reaching the next fix. It is a regular occurrence to receive a TCAS advisory while on an instrument approach into HIF with simultaneous instrument approaches in to OGD. The TCAS TA is distracting to pilots especially during VMC conditions because the pilots then try to visually acquire the other aircraft. The best solution to this issue would be to eliminate simultaneous approaches to both OGD and HIF or at a minimum avoid having aircraft on short final into OGD and while having aircraft inbound HIF on 4 to 6 mile final. Either of these solutions would minimize the TCAS advisories thus allowing the pilot to dedicate his full attention to the approach during this critical phase of flight.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.