View Poll Results: In almost 20 years of TCAS, how many RA's ?
Never
6
5.56%
1 or 2
28
25.93%
3 or 4
22
20.37%
More than 4
52
48.15%
Voters: 108. You may not vote on this poll
TCAS RA's, Bird Strikes, Engines, Decompress
12-20-2009, 05:03 PM
#11
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Posts: 19,599
If your talking about your recent Africa trip then yeah offset is standard. Radio calls in the blind, offsets, put down the paper, turn up the radio, listen to others, hope its not your time. When I've been to Europe on the tracks, Africa, or South America I've almost always had an offset. For the big D offsets on the tracks or south america are recommended. Offsets in Africa are required.
As far as birds.....take it from me, don't land at Renton, Washington from the north, at night, when all those darn ducks and geese walk up the float plane ramp and sleep on the runway.
Worst RA was back in your home turf. Fresno controller forgot to tell us about a VFR Falcon 50 climbing outta FAT. TCAS said descend and turn right. Luckily I saw the a/c and turned left or I'd be pushing up daisies along with all my pax.
As far as birds.....take it from me, don't land at Renton, Washington from the north, at night, when all those darn ducks and geese walk up the float plane ramp and sleep on the runway.
Worst RA was back in your home turf. Fresno controller forgot to tell us about a VFR Falcon 50 climbing outta FAT. TCAS said descend and turn right. Luckily I saw the a/c and turned left or I'd be pushing up daisies along with all my pax.
12-20-2009, 05:14 PM
#12
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 40,050
TCAS-III was suppoed to do that, but I think was superseded by ADSB-Out?
But I have had more RA's than I can recall in less than a decade...regional flying into midsize airports with a heavy mix of GA. Most in the terminal area, one in the flight levels caused by an aggressive level-off in RVSM. The thing has always worked so far...
12-20-2009, 05:23 PM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Position: Self employed
Posts: 3,048
Ok, how many RA's were ATC mistakes? What doesn't count: Traffic patterns, VFR in general (except in Class B and C airspace), guys not following climb profiles near other aircraft in RVSM, etc.
12-20-2009, 05:30 PM
#14
veut gagner à la loterie
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: Light Chop
Posts: 23,286
2 seperate RAs flying CLE-DEN in 2003. Both happened on the arrival. One resulted in a 2000' climb deviation, which was major since we were on descent, and the other was a 1000' climb deviation. Fun times. The cool part was the same flight had a high speed RTO for birds, which really was a calm event given the runway length. We taxied back and had a seagull (didn't know they hung out in OH) packed in the nose wheel strut removed and the engines inspected and then went on only to give the passengers a good airshow. More fun times now that I remember that flight.
After that, to answer your poll, a multitude of RAs in and out of EWR with aircraft not going in or out of EWR. Best was a Cirrus that flew through final on runway 4R in EWR. That was odd. And I remember one that would've been a cool low altitude descent RA but ATC caught it in time for it to be just a level off. It involved EWR, 4R and a 180 degree turn by Air Jamaica ahead of us and ended with ATC saying, "uh, watch out, I don't know where they're trying to go..."
After that, to answer your poll, a multitude of RAs in and out of EWR with aircraft not going in or out of EWR. Best was a Cirrus that flew through final on runway 4R in EWR. That was odd. And I remember one that would've been a cool low altitude descent RA but ATC caught it in time for it to be just a level off. It involved EWR, 4R and a 180 degree turn by Air Jamaica ahead of us and ended with ATC saying, "uh, watch out, I don't know where they're trying to go..."
12-20-2009, 05:48 PM
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: maddoggy dog
Posts: 1,026
Drinking beer and posting while trying to remember an old story.....
You are all right. Post was edited for accuracy. I did see the other pilots face though. His eyes were as big as mine and I think he was saying something like "OH SH$@"
By the way, my favorite color is clear and yes I did take the big bus to school today. Has anyone seen my helmet.
What model were you using? - Sailing, you are very polite. I like the subtle way of "hey stupid, would you like the gear up?" lol
You are all right. Post was edited for accuracy. I did see the other pilots face though. His eyes were as big as mine and I think he was saying something like "OH SH$@"
By the way, my favorite color is clear and yes I did take the big bus to school today. Has anyone seen my helmet.
What model were you using? - Sailing, you are very polite. I like the subtle way of "hey stupid, would you like the gear up?" lol
12-20-2009, 06:28 PM
#16
The NeverEnding Story
Joined APC: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,609
While descending out of 2500ish feet on the River Visual at DCA, I got a TA for a target at 100ft below us followed immediately by a CLIMB RA roughly 1000fpm, right abeam the CIA building. Following the TA and seeing nothing visually below us, we inquired about any traffic below us, and the controller said he showed a USCG helicopter at 500AGL below us and nothing else.
About 5 seconds later, the TCAS target that gave us the RA went away.
We did a steeper-than-normal approach followed by a normal landing, filing event reports and scratching our heads...
About 5 seconds later, the TCAS target that gave us the RA went away.
We did a steeper-than-normal approach followed by a normal landing, filing event reports and scratching our heads...
12-20-2009, 06:54 PM
#17
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2009
Position: http://rahcontractnow.org/
Posts: 206
While descending out of 2500ish feet on the River Visual at DCA, I got a TA for a target at 100ft below us followed immediately by a CLIMB RA roughly 1000fpm, right abeam the CIA building. Following the TA and seeing nothing visually below us, we inquired about any traffic below us, and the controller said he showed a USCG helicopter at 500AGL below us and nothing else.
About 5 seconds later, the TCAS target that gave us the RA went away.
We did a steeper-than-normal approach followed by a normal landing, filing event reports and scratching our heads...
About 5 seconds later, the TCAS target that gave us the RA went away.
We did a steeper-than-normal approach followed by a normal landing, filing event reports and scratching our heads...
12-20-2009, 07:01 PM
#18
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,001
Theory only
We had a Cessna 210 insight 500 feet below us when we got the TA. We where descending into OMA, as we descended further we got the RA telling us to descend. My thought was wow I cant believe the tcas told us to descend at 1500ft per min. I ignored it and climbed. The tcas then changed its mind, after I started to climb, to a 1500ft climb. That was really crazy. If I would have followed the tcas in the first place, I might not be here telling this story.
TCAS II is good, but the human brain is still better.
Last edited by Sniper; 12-21-2009 at 07:53 AM. Reason: removed the incorrect information. RA's can reverse a descent to a climb.
12-20-2009, 07:04 PM
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Legacy FO
Posts: 4,105
Having just calmed down from getting an RA at FL270, I was wondering how often this happens to us on average.
Does any airline SOP have an airway offset criteria for the purpose of preventing opposite direction midairs, particularly in the GPS "dead" center world?
As to bird strikes, I guess that depends where you're operating. But, I hit a lot of birds. And finally, engine outs are hopefully as rare as decompressions, but I wonder which is more?
Yes, I'm bored.
Does any airline SOP have an airway offset criteria for the purpose of preventing opposite direction midairs, particularly in the GPS "dead" center world?
As to bird strikes, I guess that depends where you're operating. But, I hit a lot of birds. And finally, engine outs are hopefully as rare as decompressions, but I wonder which is more?
Yes, I'm bored.
A TCAS RA only requires a 5 second crew reaction time and it requires a .25 G manuever. A reversal RA only requires a 2.5 second crew reaction time and requires a .35 G manuever. The passengers in the back shouldn't notice anything unusual.
Just put the aircraft into the green arc and you will be fine.
12-20-2009, 07:20 PM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: DD->DH->RU/XE soon to be EV
Posts: 3,732
While descending out of 2500ish feet on the River Visual at DCA, I got a TA for a target at 100ft below us followed immediately by a CLIMB RA roughly 1000fpm, right abeam the CIA building. Following the TA and seeing nothing visually below us, we inquired about any traffic below us, and the controller said he showed a USCG helicopter at 500AGL below us and nothing else.
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