Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 171
Workload; Training / Qualification; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew FLC Overrode Automation; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airport; Procedure; Human Factors; Company Policy
I neglected to select TA in time to avoid an RA on final for Runway 16L.  We intercepted final from the northeast and converged with traffic from the west to 16R.  Approach/ Tower (can't remember which) pointed him out and we saw him.  We got the TA warning then a 'Monitor Vertical Descent' RA.  I complied with the RA and told Tower that we got the RA.  He asked if we could continue the approach and said that we couldn't with the warning.  My First Officer then reminded me that DEN was one of the places where we used the TA mode.  We were a little high from reacting to the RA but were in position to be stabilized.  I asked my First Officer if he was comfortable continuing the approach in TA and he said yes; so I selected TA and continued the approach as we informed Tower.  I didn't feel pressure to continue and was prepared to go around but I didn't feel the risk was elevated enough to warrant a go-around.  As I reached for the TCAS selector switch; the RA transitioned to 'Climb' but obviously went away when I selected TA.  I was convinced that throughout this episode I was doing everything under an acceptable level of risk and by procedure aside from neglecting to select TA earlier. I responded to the RA and realizing that this runway required the use of TA mode; I decided to select TA and continue the approach.  After landing I called Dispatch to inform them what had happened and it was decided that the situation did not warrant further reporting given that the there is a published procedure to select TA for aircraft closely spaced in Denver and no aggressive maneuvering was done on my part.  In hindsight; I question whether I should have gone around when the Climb RA occurred to comply with procedure.  It occurred after we had made the decision to continue; given the situation; and as I was reaching for the switch.  I didn't consider the Climb RA until well after we landed.  The QRH says don't cancel an RA by selecting TA only.  It says this right after it says that it is appropriate to select TA if directed by the [procedures].  The wording is clearly stated in the following verbiage and I was familiar with it.  I complied with the TCAS guidance RA by shallowing my descent and felt like I was complying with procedure by deciding to select TA only as the RA was being complied with.  I steepened my descent after the decision was made to continue but before I actually turned the switch to TA.  In the future I will be more diligent reading the [procedures] page since I forgot that this runway required TA only.
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
An air carrier crew failed to select the TCAS TA Mode on approach to DEN Runway 16L. After a RA; the First Officer remembered the Company TA Mode policy. He reminded the Captain who selected TA and continued the approach.