Narrative:

The radar controller and I were working the rqz (rocket) sector (06) in ZTL. The supervisor brought us a strip on an atl arrival and asked us to work the aircraft north into our airspace since the sector south of us (gad-sector 03) was overloaded with aircraft deviating around thunderstorms in the southeast part of their sector and throughout the sector south of gad sector. We received a handoff on military (X), an F16, southeast of gqo VORTAC direct vuz VORTAC landing cbm at FL250. We knew this aircraft would create much more workload for the gad sector, so we pointed out the F16 to the sector immediately below us, dalas sector (05), and got approval from the next low altitude sector (bhm) to descend military X to FL230. Thus going below gad sectors altitudes of FL240 to FL330. The radar controller had previously worked air carrier Y, a B727 with TCASII, down to FL240 on JG6 to rmg landing atl. Air carrier Y was already on dalas sector's frequency before crossing the route of military X, the radar controller had heard the dalas controller give air carrier Y descent clearance to 'cross dalas intersection at and maintain 14000 ft. When air carrier Y and military X were less than 2 mins from crossing, my radar controller gave military X clearance to descend and maintain FL230. The dalas controller immediately said, 'you didn't descend that F16, did you?' my radar controller said, 'yes, haven't you descended air carrier Y?' the dalas controller said, 'yes, but it's a discretionary clearance, he's still at FL240.' the conflict alert activated and I saw FL245 in military X's data block and no reported altitude in air carrier Y's data block. The dalas controller was now telling air carrier Y to descend immediately through FL220, and my radar controller was telling military X to climb immediately to FL250 and be level in 30 seconds if possible. The aircraft were about 7 mi apart. I told the radar controller it would be easier now to go underneath the air carrier X. He said 'I would but dalas gave air carrier Y an immediate descent. Just then the F16 reported level again at FL250. I looked at the data and the F16 showed no reported altitude, but the air carrier Y showed FL244. I said 'what's that air carrier Y doing -- his altitude shows 20-4-4.' the next radar update showed FL247. The dalas controller asked air carrier Y if he climbed instead of descended. Air carrier Y said 'yes, we got a RA advising us to climb and then the other aircraft went right over the top of us.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLTDEV NMAC RESULTING FROM A TCASII ALERT EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN BY ACR Y. ACR Y CLBED TOWARD RATHER THAN DSNDED AWAY FROM MIL X.

Narrative: THE RADAR CTLR AND I WERE WORKING THE RQZ (ROCKET) SECTOR (06) IN ZTL. THE SUPVR BROUGHT US A STRIP ON AN ATL ARR AND ASKED US TO WORK THE ACFT N INTO OUR AIRSPACE SINCE THE SECTOR S OF US (GAD-SECTOR 03) WAS OVERLOADED WITH ACFT DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS IN THE SE PART OF THEIR SECTOR AND THROUGHOUT THE SECTOR S OF GAD SECTOR. WE RECEIVED A HDOF ON MIL (X), AN F16, SE OF GQO VORTAC DIRECT VUZ VORTAC LNDG CBM AT FL250. WE KNEW THIS ACFT WOULD CREATE MUCH MORE WORKLOAD FOR THE GAD SECTOR, SO WE POINTED OUT THE F16 TO THE SECTOR IMMEDIATELY BELOW US, DALAS SECTOR (05), AND GOT APPROVAL FROM THE NEXT LOW ALT SECTOR (BHM) TO DSND MIL X TO FL230. THUS GOING BELOW GAD SECTORS ALTS OF FL240 TO FL330. THE RADAR CTLR HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED ACR Y, A B727 WITH TCASII, DOWN TO FL240 ON JG6 TO RMG LNDG ATL. ACR Y WAS ALREADY ON DALAS SECTOR'S FREQ BEFORE XING THE RTE OF MIL X, THE RADAR CTLR HAD HEARD THE DALAS CTLR GIVE ACR Y DSCNT CLRNC TO 'CROSS DALAS INTXN AT AND MAINTAIN 14000 FT. WHEN ACR Y AND MIL X WERE LESS THAN 2 MINS FROM XING, MY RADAR CTLR GAVE MIL X CLRNC TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL230. THE DALAS CTLR IMMEDIATELY SAID, 'YOU DIDN'T DSND THAT F16, DID YOU?' MY RADAR CTLR SAID, 'YES, HAVEN'T YOU DSNDED ACR Y?' THE DALAS CTLR SAID, 'YES, BUT IT'S A DISCRETIONARY CLRNC, HE'S STILL AT FL240.' THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED AND I SAW FL245 IN MIL X'S DATA BLOCK AND NO RPTED ALT IN ACR Y'S DATA BLOCK. THE DALAS CTLR WAS NOW TELLING ACR Y TO DSND IMMEDIATELY THROUGH FL220, AND MY RADAR CTLR WAS TELLING MIL X TO CLB IMMEDIATELY TO FL250 AND BE LEVEL IN 30 SECONDS IF POSSIBLE. THE ACFT WERE ABOUT 7 MI APART. I TOLD THE RADAR CTLR IT WOULD BE EASIER NOW TO GO UNDERNEATH THE ACR X. HE SAID 'I WOULD BUT DALAS GAVE ACR Y AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT. JUST THEN THE F16 RPTED LEVEL AGAIN AT FL250. I LOOKED AT THE DATA AND THE F16 SHOWED NO RPTED ALT, BUT THE ACR Y SHOWED FL244. I SAID 'WHAT'S THAT ACR Y DOING -- HIS ALT SHOWS 20-4-4.' THE NEXT RADAR UPDATE SHOWED FL247. THE DALAS CTLR ASKED ACR Y IF HE CLBED INSTEAD OF DSNDED. ACR Y SAID 'YES, WE GOT A RA ADVISING US TO CLB AND THEN THE OTHER ACFT WENT RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF US.'

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.