Narrative:

We were flying along the beach at 3000 approximately 5 NM south of grand strand VOR when we had a TCASII traffic RA for a single engine small aircraft climbing from grand strand airport to the south. The traffic was climbing out of about 1700 MSL when the RA occurred. We immediately followed the advisory to the recommended vsi of about 1800 FPM climb. The aircraft was directly below us and less than 1/4 mi to the side (if at all). The RA stopped at 3500 MSL and we stopped our climb by 3700 MSL. Just as we were reporting this event, myr approach issued us a TA stating the aircraft was level at 2500 ft. We told him we climbed to 3700 ft to comply with the RA. We were asked to call ATC later. The military controllers at myr were not aware that an aircrew can deviate from an assigned altitude due to an RA. He was mad that we climbed when he knew the aircraft was stopping at 2500 MSL. The problem was, we knew of him first (thanks to TCASII) and were not aware that grand strand tower only cleared him to 2500. All we knew was that an aircraft was directly below us, less than 1000 ft below us, and climbing. The controller was also surprised that someone would deviate from an assigned altitude due to an RA. His attitude appeared to be that the controller knew all and that you should never deviate from an assigned altitude. These military controllers appear to need some training on the basic principles of TCASII and why it was developed to avoid midairs due to either pilot or ATC mistakes. These people were completely clueless to any non-military equipment or operating procedures practices.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MDT ACR HAD A TCASII ALERT CAUSED BY AN SMA DIRECTED TO STOP HIS VFR CLB 500 FT BELOW THE IFR MDT.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING ALONG THE BEACH AT 3000 APPROX 5 NM S OF GRAND STRAND VOR WHEN WE HAD A TCASII TFC RA FOR A SINGLE ENG SMA CLBING FROM GRAND STRAND ARPT TO THE S. THE TFC WAS CLBING OUT OF ABOUT 1700 MSL WHEN THE RA OCCURRED. WE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED THE ADVISORY TO THE RECOMMENDED VSI OF ABOUT 1800 FPM CLB. THE ACFT WAS DIRECTLY BELOW US AND LESS THAN 1/4 MI TO THE SIDE (IF AT ALL). THE RA STOPPED AT 3500 MSL AND WE STOPPED OUR CLB BY 3700 MSL. JUST AS WE WERE RPTING THIS EVENT, MYR APCH ISSUED US A TA STATING THE ACFT WAS LEVEL AT 2500 FT. WE TOLD HIM WE CLBED TO 3700 FT TO COMPLY WITH THE RA. WE WERE ASKED TO CALL ATC LATER. THE MIL CTLRS AT MYR WERE NOT AWARE THAT AN AIRCREW CAN DEVIATE FROM AN ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO AN RA. HE WAS MAD THAT WE CLBED WHEN HE KNEW THE ACFT WAS STOPPING AT 2500 MSL. THE PROBLEM WAS, WE KNEW OF HIM FIRST (THANKS TO TCASII) AND WERE NOT AWARE THAT GRAND STRAND TWR ONLY CLRED HIM TO 2500. ALL WE KNEW WAS THAT AN ACFT WAS DIRECTLY BELOW US, LESS THAN 1000 FT BELOW US, AND CLBING. THE CTLR WAS ALSO SURPRISED THAT SOMEONE WOULD DEVIATE FROM AN ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO AN RA. HIS ATTITUDE APPEARED TO BE THAT THE CTLR KNEW ALL AND THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER DEVIATE FROM AN ASSIGNED ALT. THESE MIL CTLRS APPEAR TO NEED SOME TRAINING ON THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF TCASII AND WHY IT WAS DEVELOPED TO AVOID MIDAIRS DUE TO EITHER PLT OR ATC MISTAKES. THESE PEOPLE WERE COMPLETELY CLUELESS TO ANY NON-MIL EQUIP OR OPERATING PROCS PRACTICES.

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.