Narrative:

There were scattered areas of level 4 or 5 WX echoes in my airspace which affected all departures. Many departures requested deviations for WX within 2 mi of the airport. X, a DH8, contacted me after departing runway 18L. He was on an assigned heading of 150 degrees, climbing to 4000 ft. I assigned X an altitude of 5000 ft. X requested information about my plans for WX avoidance. I instructed X to turn right heading 020 degrees and expedite climb. Normally, these flts are turned left. The supervisor overheard the phrase 'turn right' which caught his attention. He advised me he thought I said 'turn right.' I then instructed X to turn left, heading 020 degrees. Y, a B73S, had departed runway 18L on an assigned heading of 180 degrees, climbing to 8000 ft. He had not contacted me yet. I observed his mode C at 1700 ft. I observed that X had slowed his climb rate and I took immediate action to stop Y climb. Y did not acknowledge, so I contacted the local controller to stop Y at 2300 ft. Y had already left the local controller's frequency. I called Y again on my frequency and issued him an altitude of 2500 ft (his mode C readout was 2400 ft). Y advised me that the DH8 was in sight and that Y would level at 2500 ft. I then instructed X to turn and expedite climb and he responded that an RA was being received and to 'stand by.' he then advised me he would comply. Cause: slip of the tongue -- saying 'turn right' instead of 'left.' factors: 1) X did not question 'the long way around' probably because of his concentration on WX. 2) X did not comply with expeditious climb. Computer printout showed that 47 seconds was taken to climb the 300 ft from 2800 ft to 3100 ft. Supplemental information from acn 278373: after making initial call to departure control, I informed controller that I had a question. She asked me to stand by. After giving some other aircraft instructions, she told me to go ahead with question. I asked what her plans were for getting us on a northbound heading for the transition, due to storms in area. Controller issued 'immediate right turn to 020 degree heading, expedite turn.' since such language is generally reserved for urgent traffic separation, we complied quickly with the instructions. Coming through about a 270 degree heading, I saw a 737 coming right at us. The controller issued a left turn now to 020 degrees and climb to 6000 ft. She also instructed the 737 to maintain 2500 ft. We also had a climb, climb, climb RA with a minimum 1500 FPM climb rate on vsi. After everything settled down, the 737 crew asked the controller 'what was that airplane doing there?' we called the approach control supervisor when we got on the ground. We were informed that the controller had been pulled from her position and decertified.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TCASII RA HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: THERE WERE SCATTERED AREAS OF LEVEL 4 OR 5 WX ECHOES IN MY AIRSPACE WHICH AFFECTED ALL DEPS. MANY DEPS REQUESTED DEVS FOR WX WITHIN 2 MI OF THE ARPT. X, A DH8, CONTACTED ME AFTER DEPARTING RWY 18L. HE WAS ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 150 DEGS, CLBING TO 4000 FT. I ASSIGNED X AN ALT OF 5000 FT. X REQUESTED INFO ABOUT MY PLANS FOR WX AVOIDANCE. I INSTRUCTED X TO TURN R HDG 020 DEGS AND EXPEDITE CLB. NORMALLY, THESE FLTS ARE TURNED L. THE SUPVR OVERHEARD THE PHRASE 'TURN R' WHICH CAUGHT HIS ATTN. HE ADVISED ME HE THOUGHT I SAID 'TURN R.' I THEN INSTRUCTED X TO TURN L, HDG 020 DEGS. Y, A B73S, HAD DEPARTED RWY 18L ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 180 DEGS, CLBING TO 8000 FT. HE HAD NOT CONTACTED ME YET. I OBSERVED HIS MODE C AT 1700 FT. I OBSERVED THAT X HAD SLOWED HIS CLB RATE AND I TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO STOP Y CLB. Y DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE, SO I CONTACTED THE LCL CTLR TO STOP Y AT 2300 FT. Y HAD ALREADY LEFT THE LCL CTLR'S FREQ. I CALLED Y AGAIN ON MY FREQ AND ISSUED HIM AN ALT OF 2500 FT (HIS MODE C READOUT WAS 2400 FT). Y ADVISED ME THAT THE DH8 WAS IN SIGHT AND THAT Y WOULD LEVEL AT 2500 FT. I THEN INSTRUCTED X TO TURN AND EXPEDITE CLB AND HE RESPONDED THAT AN RA WAS BEING RECEIVED AND TO 'STAND BY.' HE THEN ADVISED ME HE WOULD COMPLY. CAUSE: SLIP OF THE TONGUE -- SAYING 'TURN R' INSTEAD OF 'L.' FACTORS: 1) X DID NOT QUESTION 'THE LONG WAY AROUND' PROBABLY BECAUSE OF HIS CONCENTRATION ON WX. 2) X DID NOT COMPLY WITH EXPEDITIOUS CLB. COMPUTER PRINTOUT SHOWED THAT 47 SECONDS WAS TAKEN TO CLB THE 300 FT FROM 2800 FT TO 3100 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 278373: AFTER MAKING INITIAL CALL TO DEP CTL, I INFORMED CTLR THAT I HAD A QUESTION. SHE ASKED ME TO STAND BY. AFTER GIVING SOME OTHER ACFT INSTRUCTIONS, SHE TOLD ME TO GO AHEAD WITH QUESTION. I ASKED WHAT HER PLANS WERE FOR GETTING US ON A NBOUND HDG FOR THE TRANSITION, DUE TO STORMS IN AREA. CTLR ISSUED 'IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 020 DEG HDG, EXPEDITE TURN.' SINCE SUCH LANGUAGE IS GENERALLY RESERVED FOR URGENT TFC SEPARATION, WE COMPLIED QUICKLY WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS. COMING THROUGH ABOUT A 270 DEG HDG, I SAW A 737 COMING RIGHT AT US. THE CTLR ISSUED A L TURN NOW TO 020 DEGS AND CLB TO 6000 FT. SHE ALSO INSTRUCTED THE 737 TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT. WE ALSO HAD A CLB, CLB, CLB RA WITH A MINIMUM 1500 FPM CLB RATE ON VSI. AFTER EVERYTHING SETTLED DOWN, THE 737 CREW ASKED THE CTLR 'WHAT WAS THAT AIRPLANE DOING THERE?' WE CALLED THE APCH CTL SUPVR WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE CTLR HAD BEEN PULLED FROM HER POS AND DECERTIFIED.

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.