TCAS RA's

[Brett Hull]

Thanks Snoopy!

and CLCAP for trying to answer.

Here's another situation: You're on an extended left base and the tower calls "traffic 12:00, three miles along the shoreline, a bugsmasher, 1500', smashing bugs in your direction." You call traffic in sight and continue on your base. As you're turning final, the TCAS gets it's panties in a wad and starts yelling at you to climb. Do you have to respond under part 91 (even though you SEE THE CONFLICT for the "if it's there use it" crowd)?

It's not about blatantly ignoring the frickin thing.

Sorry for the smart@ss comment, but you ask a simple question and jeez!

 

[cvsfly]

Read the TCAS manual. Read the AC on TCAS (don't have the #). Get training on TCAS. The regs don't tell you how to operate your equipment. TCAS is designed to keep you a certain distance from other traffic (with operating transponders). If you got a visual and are certain you can avoid the conflict don't sweat it (maybe the other guy will). I'd rather miss by a mile than by inches. If you are not going to use it as it is intended, remove it. either way don't depend on one source - your eyes (although the most important), TCAS, radio, etc. Fly safe.

 

[chperplt]

Of course, we don't do photo shoots, and we're told that the current version of our TCAS software won't flag cases like my (#2) until you MUST take action.

If I responded to every RA I got, my flightpath would look like my first attempt at straight and level..

Actually, the TCAS unit in my nice Beech 1900 isn't of the new variety. On a daily basis I get RAs. 99% of the time I am inbound to an airport that is a crossing point for another airports arrival. As mentioned above, the airplane is trying to meet the restriction, and to do so, they are coming down very fast. I'm level at 10, and they are busting a@@ down to 11, the RA will go off every time. If I have a visual on the traffic, I'm certainly not going to follow the decent command.

 

[xjcaptain]

I believe the real danger in not responding to a RA is THINKING that you have the traffic in sight, only to have the wrong traffic. Several high-profile mid-airs happened becuase of exactly this. Not to mention that if you don't comply, and the other does, it's another midair (I think it was DHL over Europe a year or so ago with that scenario). My OPINION is that if you are not going to comply, take it out because you are jeopardizing my safety and the safety of everybody you fly near. Have the professionalism to do it right, and do it right EVERY TIME. What is the advantage of not following the RA, trying to shave a second or two off the leg time? Might just as well ignore the GPWS, EGPWS or the TAWS systems also becuase I know CFIT can only happen to the other guy, right?