The search facilty is your friend:
http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/138138-tcas-climb.html
http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/34578...d-ceiling.html
http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/35445...de-cruise.html
For the original poster:
In summary, if you get an RA you should be following it unless to do so is itself hazardous. For most aeroplanes, a climb of a few hundred feet above ceiling is a minimal risk, so the RA must be followed.
However, if you
cannot fully comply with the RA then you must get as close as possible. So if you're in an ice covered turboprop and TCAS asks for +1500, do the best you can, as long as you manouevre in the SAME SENSE as the RA, you will be increasing the vertical distance between you and the other aircraft. If you can only manage +500 then this is still going to help, all that will happen is that the other aircraft RA will be maintained a little longer before it weakens.
The thing you must NOT do is manouevre in the opposite sense to the RA. This is far riskier than doing nothing (in a 'mostly TCAS' environment)
Some FCOMs state that TA can be selected when performance limited to avoid performance limiting RAs.
I had heard this was being suggested. I'm amazed to hear its actually happened. It's so crazy it's beyond belief imho.
pb