Narrative:

About 35 mi north of san marcus, I was concluding a passenger address passing 24500 ft in a climb to 25000 ft. The first officer told me we were on assigned heading of 380 degrees for traffic at 26000 ft. This was about a 24 degree left correction from our outbound course of 304 degrees from san marcus VOR. The autoplt was capturing our assigned altitude of 25000 ft when suddenly we heard a TCASII resolution climb, climb, climb. The vsi directed a climb and I observed a red DOT just aft of the airplane symbol display on the radar screen the first officer disconnected the autoplt and initiated a climb with the vsi in the green at 300 to 500 FPM. The TCASII continued to announce climb, climb! We leveled the airplane at FL255 and then the TCASII resolution stopped. We informed ATC about our altitude deviation and about the same time heard an air carrier jet do a TCASII resolution out of 26000 ft. We descended back to FL250 and got a telephone for ZLA. We talked to an FAA ATC supervisor in the air just after our event. On the ground in sfo we talked to ATC supervisor. Both myself and the first officer gave our account why we deviated our altitude. Supervisor told me to call quality assurance in a few days. I did not see the air carrier jet. Apparently, he was crossing our position at 26000 ft from about our 8 O'clock position to slightly behind us and then to about our 4 O'clock position. My first officer estimated that air carrier was about 500 ft higher and 1/2 mi horizontal when visually observed at our 4 O'clock position. Just before my first officer was given the command to fly 380 degrees for traffic the ATC controller had reported to us 'you have traffic at 1 O'clock at FL260.' my first officer looked in that direction and replied 'negative traffic.' we believe the ATC controller erred when she called our traffic at 1 O'clock because we think that airplane was the air carrier jet in our aft left quadrant flying at 26000 ft. However, that does not explain why our TCASII gave us a resolution to climb when there was another jet flying over our position 1000 ft higher. I was informed by the FAA on sep/xx/92 that a 'pilot altitude deviation' would not be filed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII RA TO CLB. TFC BEHIND AND ABOVE.

Narrative: ABOUT 35 MI N OF SAN MARCUS, I WAS CONCLUDING A PAX ADDRESS PASSING 24500 FT IN A CLB TO 25000 FT. THE FO TOLD ME WE WERE ON ASSIGNED HDG OF 380 DEGS FOR TFC AT 26000 FT. THIS WAS ABOUT A 24 DEG L CORRECTION FROM OUR OUTBOUND COURSE OF 304 DEGS FROM SAN MARCUS VOR. THE AUTOPLT WAS CAPTURING OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 25000 FT WHEN SUDDENLY WE HEARD A TCASII RESOLUTION CLB, CLB, CLB. THE VSI DIRECTED A CLB AND I OBSERVED A RED DOT JUST AFT OF THE AIRPLANE SYMBOL DISPLAY ON THE RADAR SCREEN THE FO DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND INITIATED A CLB WITH THE VSI IN THE GREEN AT 300 TO 500 FPM. THE TCASII CONTINUED TO ANNOUNCE CLB, CLB! WE LEVELED THE AIRPLANE AT FL255 AND THEN THE TCASII RESOLUTION STOPPED. WE INFORMED ATC ABOUT OUR ALTDEV AND ABOUT THE SAME TIME HEARD AN ACR JET DO A TCASII RESOLUTION OUT OF 26000 FT. WE DSNDED BACK TO FL250 AND GOT A TELEPHONE FOR ZLA. WE TALKED TO AN FAA ATC SUPVR IN THE AIR JUST AFTER OUR EVENT. ON THE GND IN SFO WE TALKED TO ATC SUPVR. BOTH MYSELF AND THE FO GAVE OUR ACCOUNT WHY WE DEVIATED OUR ALT. SUPVR TOLD ME TO CALL QUALITY ASSURANCE IN A FEW DAYS. I DID NOT SEE THE ACR JET. APPARENTLY, HE WAS XING OUR POS AT 26000 FT FROM ABOUT OUR 8 O'CLOCK POS TO SLIGHTLY BEHIND US AND THEN TO ABOUT OUR 4 O'CLOCK POS. MY FO ESTIMATED THAT ACR WAS ABOUT 500 FT HIGHER AND 1/2 MI HORIZ WHEN VISUALLY OBSERVED AT OUR 4 O'CLOCK POS. JUST BEFORE MY FO WAS GIVEN THE COMMAND TO FLY 380 DEGS FOR TFC THE ATC CTLR HAD RPTED TO US 'YOU HAVE TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK AT FL260.' MY FO LOOKED IN THAT DIRECTION AND REPLIED 'NEGATIVE TFC.' WE BELIEVE THE ATC CTLR ERRED WHEN SHE CALLED OUR TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK BECAUSE WE THINK THAT AIRPLANE WAS THE ACR JET IN OUR AFT LEFT QUADRANT FLYING AT 26000 FT. HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT EXPLAIN WHY OUR TCASII GAVE US A RESOLUTION TO CLB WHEN THERE WAS ANOTHER JET FLYING OVER OUR POS 1000 FT HIGHER. I WAS INFORMED BY THE FAA ON SEP/XX/92 THAT A 'PLT ALTDEV' WOULD NOT BE FILED.

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.