Originally Posted by airmen
TCAS is designed to work according manufacturer manual, it is stipulated here that pilots have to follow orders to escape, so why argue with that and prefer to follow ATC orders?
Please read my analysis of the decision problem presented to the Bakshirian crew at Überlingen. They were faced with an "intruder" at 10 o'clock which they saw, and an unknown conflict at 2 o'clock which they didn't see, and for which they had an advisory to descend (that is, he was at or above their altitude).
What would you do? Climb towards another conflicting aircraft that you don't see but ATC does? Or avoid him, descend towards an aircraft that you do see, and hope to avoid him using visual means?
Please give some good reasons for your answer that will also be good reasons for any other pilot in this situation.
Originally Posted by airmen
I saw the ...Beech Baron.. at the last minute ..... during the escape manoeuver ...... he was very close and was flying opposite course at the same altitude ..... the controller ....... told us that he saw nothing and as such gave us no instructions. Off course we followed the TCAS but I can not tell you what the other pilot did...
That's very interesting and I agree with you that it counts as a save (but of course it doesn't contradict my observations on claimed "saves"). I have a number of observations.
First, Beech Barons don't have TCAS (I don't know that the avionics are approved for installation in a Baron, does someone?). So he is painting Mode C, otherwise you wouldn't have picked him up on your TCAS. If he is painting Mode C and you picked him up, then how come he is not showing up as the usual box as big as yours on the controller's screen? I think there is a lot more to this incident than you are able to tell us. If the controller said he saw nothing, and he was telling the truth, then it must have been a system failure rather than controller error, and his going to meet you and apologising was someone else's way of covering up a technical system failure.
PBL