ACAS/TCAS

Context
The ACAS II * equipment, known as TCAS II **, provides an independent airborne last
resort safety net designed to prevent collisions between aircraft.

ECAC common policy for ACAS II requires that:

 From January 2000 all civil fixed wing aircraft exceeding 15,000 Kg, or with a
passenger seating configuration of more than 30 must have ACAS II
 From January 2005 all civil fixed wing aircraft exceeding 7,500 Kg, or with a
passenger seating configuration of more than 19 must have ACAS II

On 20 December 2011, the European Commission published an Implementing Rule

mandating the carriage of ACAS II version 7.1 within European Union airspace earlier
than the dates stipulated in ICAO Annex 10 (see below):

 by all aircraft with a maximum certified take-off mass exceeding 5,700 kg or

authorised to carry more than 19 passengers from 1 March 2012;
 with the exception of aircraft with an individual certificate of airworthiness issued
before 1 March 2012 that must be equipped as of 1 December 2015;
 aircraft not referred above but which will be equipped on a voluntary basis with
ACAS II, must be equipped with version 7.1.

When a risk of collision is detected, TCAS II calculates the necessary maneuver and

communicates the solution directly to the flight crew.

* Airborne Collision Avoidance System

** Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System

ACAS II can issue two types of advisory’

10
 Traffic Advisory (TA), warns the flight crew to be ready for a potential Resolution
Advisory and helps the crew in the visual search for the intruder aircraft. The TA is
triggered between 20 and 48 seconds before the Closest Point of Approach (CPA)
 Resolution Advisory (RA), an advisory to the flight crew to execute avoidance
maneuvers in the vertical plane. The RA is activated between 15 and 35 seconds
before the CPA

ACAS advisory types

ACAS advisory types

Communication of TA or RA

The TA or RA is communicated to the flight crew by means of both a visual display and
an aural alert message

Upward Sense

RA Required Vertical Rate Aural

(ft/min)

Climb 1500 Climb, climb

Crossing Climb 1500 Climb, crossing climb; Climb crossing

climb

Maintain Climb 1500 Maintain vertical speed, maintain

Maintain Crossing 1500 to 4400 Maintain vertical speed, crossing

Climb maintain

Level Off 0 Level off, level off

Reversal Climb 1500 Climb, climb NOW; Climb, climb

NOW

Increase Climb 2500 Increase climb, increase climb

Preventive RA No change Monitor vertical speed

RA Removed -- Clear of conflict

 Downward Sense

RA Required Vertical Rate Aural

(ft/min)

Descend -1500 Descend, descend

Crossing Descend -1500 Descend, crossing descend; Descend,

crossing descend

Maintain Descend -1500 Maintain vertical speed, maintain

Maintain Crossing -1500 to -4400 Maintain vertical speed, crossing

Descend maintain

Level Off 0 Level off, level off

Reversal Descent -1500 Descend, descend NOW; Descend,

descend NOW

Increase Descent -2500 Increase descent, increase descent

Preventive RA No change Monitor vertical speed

RA Removed -- Clear of conflict

Expect
The following can be expected:

 Climb or descent without prior warning

 No emergency squawk
 Two aircraft or more involved
 Notification from pilot of "TCAS climb" or "TCAS descent"

Effects of Turbulence

If an aircraft experiences severe turbulence that makes it deviate very suddenly towards
another aircraft, the altitude varies with an important acceleration.

TCAS II computes a high vertical speed and an advisory may be triggered.

Even though these are rare events, TAs or RAs may be triggered between aircraft on
adjacent flight levels because of turbulence.

Remember
In event of a pilot reporting a maneuver induced by an RA, remember:
 The controller shall not attempt to modify the aircraft flight path
 The controller shall provide traffic information as appropriate
 Pilots will be very busy
 TCAS II altitude data is more accurate than radar data

NB: Once an aircraft departs from its clearance in compliance with an RA, the
controller ceases to be responsible for providing separation between that aircraft and any
other aircraft affected as a direct consequence of the maneuver induced by the RA.

The controller shall resume responsibility for providing separation for all the
affected aircraft when:

1. The controller acknowledges a report from the flight crew that the aircraft has
resumed the current clearance
OR
2. The controller acknowledges a report from the flight crew that the aircraft is
resuming the current clearance and issues and alternative clearance which is
acknowledged by the flight crew

Following an RA event, or other significant ACAS event. pilots and controllers should
complete an air traffic incident report.
Interaction of ATC and pilots during an ACAS event
Pilots ATC

Traffic Advisory (TA)

No maneuver on the sole basis of a TA Remains responsible for ATC separation

Resolution Advisory (RA)

Follow the RA Acknowledge the report

Notify ATC about the RA as soon as possible using
standard RTF phraseology
Fly the RA as accurately as possible
Scan visually the airspace where the intruder is
indicated
Do not attempt to modify the flight path of an
aircraft responding to an RA
Ceases to be responsible for separation between
that aircraft and any other aircraft affected by
the maneuver of the RA

Clear of Conflict

Return promptly to the current ATC clearance. When acknowledging the aircraft's resumption to
Notify ATC current clearance resume responsibility for
providing separation for all affected aircraft.

Extract from Eurocontrol Safety Letter. EATMP, November 2002

If needed
ACAS can have a significant effect on ATC. Therefore, the performance of ACAS in the
ATC environment should be monitored.

Because of the continuous improvement in the development of ACAS equipment,

controllers are reminded to maintain and update their knowledge.

For more information go to www.eurocontrol.int/system/airborne-collision-avoidance-

system.