Narrative:

Departed holding at athens VOR on a northerly heading. Received RA at FL240. The scope indicated the traffic was behind us. We climbed up to 24800 ft and the RA stopped. Notified center and they cleared us to FL250. Supplemental information from acn 276070: the south side of atl was blocked off by a line of thunderstorms so we were cleared around to odf on the northern arrival. About 30 mi east of odf, ATC said that the holding patterns were full, so proceed direct to athens, hold on your inbound course, right turns, 15 mi legs, and efc of XXXX. I programmed this into the FMS. Proceeded sbound to athens, and entered holding. We did about 1 1/2 turns in holding, then were cleared to atlanta via a west heading to intercept the macey arrival. About 15 mi southeast of macey we got a TCASII TA showing traffic 900 ft below, 1 mi northwest of our position and climbing. About 5 seconds later, the RA came up 'climb, climb' and the green arc in the top of the vvi. We followed the TCASII guidance, announced to ATC that we were climbing, and went to FL248 before the 'clear of conflict' announcement came out. It took us 3 attempts to get ATC to acknowledge our situation. The frequency was saturated. Don't know who the traffic was. There was 1 other aircraft holding at athens at FL230 and numerous departures and other arrs on the frequency. The arrival had scattered thunderstorms throughout.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA WHILE LEAVING A HOLDING PATTERN AT HIGH ALT.

Narrative: DEPARTED HOLDING AT ATHENS VOR ON A NORTHERLY HDG. RECEIVED RA AT FL240. THE SCOPE INDICATED THE TFC WAS BEHIND US. WE CLBED UP TO 24800 FT AND THE RA STOPPED. NOTIFIED CTR AND THEY CLRED US TO FL250. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 276070: THE S SIDE OF ATL WAS BLOCKED OFF BY A LINE OF TSTMS SO WE WERE CLRED AROUND TO ODF ON THE NORTHERN ARR. ABOUT 30 MI E OF ODF, ATC SAID THAT THE HOLDING PATTERNS WERE FULL, SO PROCEED DIRECT TO ATHENS, HOLD ON YOUR INBOUND COURSE, R TURNS, 15 MI LEGS, AND EFC OF XXXX. I PROGRAMMED THIS INTO THE FMS. PROCEEDED SBOUND TO ATHENS, AND ENTERED HOLDING. WE DID ABOUT 1 1/2 TURNS IN HOLDING, THEN WERE CLRED TO ATLANTA VIA A W HDG TO INTERCEPT THE MACEY ARR. ABOUT 15 MI SE OF MACEY WE GOT A TCASII TA SHOWING TFC 900 FT BELOW, 1 MI NW OF OUR POS AND CLBING. ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER, THE RA CAME UP 'CLB, CLB' AND THE GREEN ARC IN THE TOP OF THE VVI. WE FOLLOWED THE TCASII GUIDANCE, ANNOUNCED TO ATC THAT WE WERE CLBING, AND WENT TO FL248 BEFORE THE 'CLR OF CONFLICT' ANNOUNCEMENT CAME OUT. IT TOOK US 3 ATTEMPTS TO GET ATC TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SIT. THE FREQ WAS SATURATED. DON'T KNOW WHO THE TFC WAS. THERE WAS 1 OTHER ACFT HOLDING AT ATHENS AT FL230 AND NUMEROUS DEPS AND OTHER ARRS ON THE FREQ. THE ARR HAD SCATTERED TSTMS THROUGHOUT.

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.