TCAS reliability
How reliable is TCAS?
Just as GPWS/EGPWS, it is a last resort system, when all else fails.
But what if ... it does not work? How often do you see other traffic, which is not on the traffic screen, though it should have been? Some times I notice how traffic, getting closer, suddenly disappears. Temporarily, usually, but sometimes it just goes away. Or passing civil traffic, which never appears on the display, though it is radar environment requiring TCAS operational.
Even with two antennas, there must be times where the antennae of two aircraft cannot see each other, even when close.
I have seen this i different aircraft, from small bizjets to wide body airline.
I could not find any other information on the subject but hope that others could join in with what they experienced, or know about it.
I am not talking about faulty equipment, or transponders switched off or to the wrong setting, but normally working Mode S / TCAS. How great is the reliability?
The closer traffic gets, the more important the function of TCAS, so I would hope that when it really counts, TCAS can be trusted.