Narrative:

ATC columbus approach was talking to a military aircraft, possibly an air force aircraft, based at columbus AFB, ms. He was speaking on both VHF and UHF frequencys but our aircraft has only VHF receivers, so we could hear him talking, but the military aircraft responded on his UHF radio. Thus we were unable to hear his response. The controller stated 'MTR, I am not receiving your transponder, confirm it is turned on.' he repeated this statement twice. A few seconds later we received a TA alert which quickly turned into an RA. 'Increase climb.' the commanded rate of climb was approximately 1000-1300 FPM up. I quickly initiated a climb while looking for the traffic. My actual vertical speed was approximately 1700-2000 FPM up. We then received a 'monitor vertical speed' then a 'clear of conflict'. I leveled the aircraft at FL247. The ATC controller was advised by the captain we were responding to a TCASII RA alert and were vacating FL240. ATC (columbus approach) responded, 'medium large transport, maintain FL240, the traffic is level at FL230.' we advised the controller we were returning to FL240 and complied shortly thereafter. Total time elapsed was approximately 15 seconds. ATC controller inquired if we had heard him say 'maintain FL240'. We acknowledged and repeated our statement of responding to a TCASII RA alert. I personally am a military trained (air force) pilot with over 4000+ hours of military flying hours. While in the air force undergraduate pilot training (upt), I flew the MTR turbojet with afterburners, we went out to the MOA's and practiced aerobatics between 10000 ft and 20000 ft several times. While performing aerobatics some aircraft would occasionally bust their altitudes. Some student pilots would turn off their transponder while correcting for this altitude excursion so as not to be caught by ATC. I believe this may have been the case, this is why I reacted positively to the TCASII RA alert. I believe the ATC controller should not have told us to maintain our altitude when we had told him were responding to a TCASII RA alert, this is a violation of the policies we were told in training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII RA DICTATED TO FLC TO CLB FROM FL240. CTLR ADVISED REMAIN AT FL240 TFC LEVELING AT 230. FO FLYING HAD ALREADY REACHED FL247 AND TCASII ANNOUNCED CLR OF CONFLICT.

Narrative: ATC COLUMBUS APCH WAS TALKING TO A MIL ACFT, POSSIBLY AN AIR FORCE ACFT, BASED AT COLUMBUS AFB, MS. HE WAS SPEAKING ON BOTH VHF AND UHF FREQS BUT OUR ACFT HAS ONLY VHF RECEIVERS, SO WE COULD HEAR HIM TALKING, BUT THE MIL ACFT RESPONDED ON HIS UHF RADIO. THUS WE WERE UNABLE TO HEAR HIS RESPONSE. THE CTLR STATED 'MTR, I AM NOT RECEIVING YOUR TRANSPONDER, CONFIRM IT IS TURNED ON.' HE REPEATED THIS STATEMENT TWICE. A FEW SECONDS LATER WE RECEIVED A TA ALERT WHICH QUICKLY TURNED INTO AN RA. 'INCREASE CLB.' THE COMMANDED RATE OF CLB WAS APPROX 1000-1300 FPM UP. I QUICKLY INITIATED A CLB WHILE LOOKING FOR THE TFC. MY ACTUAL VERT SPD WAS APPROX 1700-2000 FPM UP. WE THEN RECEIVED A 'MONITOR VERT SPD' THEN A 'CLR OF CONFLICT'. I LEVELED THE ACFT AT FL247. THE ATC CTLR WAS ADVISED BY THE CAPT WE WERE RESPONDING TO A TCASII RA ALERT AND WERE VACATING FL240. ATC (COLUMBUS APCH) RESPONDED, 'MLG, MAINTAIN FL240, THE TFC IS LEVEL AT FL230.' WE ADVISED THE CTLR WE WERE RETURNING TO FL240 AND COMPLIED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. TOTAL TIME ELAPSED WAS APPROX 15 SECONDS. ATC CTLR INQUIRED IF WE HAD HEARD HIM SAY 'MAINTAIN FL240'. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND REPEATED OUR STATEMENT OF RESPONDING TO A TCASII RA ALERT. I PERSONALLY AM A MIL TRAINED (AIR FORCE) PLT WITH OVER 4000+ HRS OF MIL FLYING HRS. WHILE IN THE AIR FORCE UNDERGRADUATE PLT TRAINING (UPT), I FLEW THE MTR TURBOJET WITH AFTERBURNERS, WE WENT OUT TO THE MOA'S AND PRACTICED AEROBATICS BTWN 10000 FT AND 20000 FT SEVERAL TIMES. WHILE PERFORMING AEROBATICS SOME ACFT WOULD OCCASIONALLY BUST THEIR ALTS. SOME STUDENT PLTS WOULD TURN OFF THEIR TRANSPONDER WHILE CORRECTING FOR THIS ALT EXCURSION SO AS NOT TO BE CAUGHT BY ATC. I BELIEVE THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE CASE, THIS IS WHY I REACTED POSITIVELY TO THE TCASII RA ALERT. I BELIEVE THE ATC CTLR SHOULD NOT HAVE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN OUR ALT WHEN WE HAD TOLD HIM WERE RESPONDING TO A TCASII RA ALERT, THIS IS A VIOLATION OF THE POLICIES WE WERE TOLD IN TRAINING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.