Narrative:

X originally cleared out of sfo with ATIS runway 28 sfo 6 departure to maintain 10000 ft. Changed to runway 10R, dumbarton 5 departure to maintain 23000 ft. At bartn intersection we turned northeast, and were told to maintain 13000 ft, which we thought was odd, but then cleared to 15000 ft, then 18000 ft. Between altam and sae, climbing through 15000 ft, we saw air carrier Y on TCASII approximately 10 mi ahead in our 11-11:00 O'clock position, about 1500 ft above us, descending. ATC then told us to turn 20 degree left, which I saw from the heading indicator and map would turn us right into Y. We told the controller that, at which time TCASII went yellow and called 'traffic.' controller said he was turning us behind the traffic, which made no sense to us as we were between the 2 aircraft on TCASII (1 off our 3 O'clock position) and staying on course looked better. I started the turn slowly and saw him descend through 1000 ft above us and controller said 'Y had us in sight.' we were IMC. TCASII went red, told us to 'monitor vertical speed,' and I saw he was only 400 ft above us. I pushed over and pulled the power to idle. '0' ft vsi and above were red, below was going and I was going down over 1000 FPM. The RA was staying 400 ft above us. Then he apparently leveled out and the gap widened to about 1500 ft as I went through 14500 ft. I leveled off, added power, waited till he went by, and started climbing again. We told ATC what happened, and we never saw him in the clouds. I believe it was ATC then told us the RA had had us on TCASII, not visually. Then a third voice said he had a 1000 ft separation on his TCASII. I don't know how that could be unless someone's instruments were off, as we both saw 400 ft in red on ours. Even if he failed to set his altimeters to qnh of 29.98 inches, with instructions to level at 16000 ft, he would have been less than 100 ft low. As I see it, the most serious problem was the clearance to 18000 ft. Had we been left with a 15000 ft limit, assuming he had a 16000 ft clearance, TCASII would probably have sensed the leveloff and not called an RA, and of course, there would not have been a red conflict. Also, the command for a 20 degree left turn put us into his path. I probably should have delayed the turn and told the controller. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that had we continued the climb and the turn, we would have collided or come extremely close. If someone's instruments were wrong, I think they were his (or he was too low) because our 15500 ft and 400 ft RA put him at 15900 ft to 16000 ft as he claimed. We could not have been 1000 ft apart. What bothers me most is the clearance to 18000 ft with the left 20 degree turn, which put us right into his path (not behind him).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TCASII TA RA HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR. EVASIVE ACTION DSCNT.

Narrative: X ORIGINALLY CLRED OUT OF SFO WITH ATIS RWY 28 SFO 6 DEP TO MAINTAIN 10000 FT. CHANGED TO RWY 10R, DUMBARTON 5 DEP TO MAINTAIN 23000 FT. AT BARTN INTXN WE TURNED NE, AND WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 13000 FT, WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS ODD, BUT THEN CLRED TO 15000 FT, THEN 18000 FT. BTWN ALTAM AND SAE, CLBING THROUGH 15000 FT, WE SAW ACR Y ON TCASII APPROX 10 MI AHEAD IN OUR 11-11:00 O'CLOCK POS, ABOUT 1500 FT ABOVE US, DSNDING. ATC THEN TOLD US TO TURN 20 DEG L, WHICH I SAW FROM THE HDG INDICATOR AND MAP WOULD TURN US RIGHT INTO Y. WE TOLD THE CTLR THAT, AT WHICH TIME TCASII WENT YELLOW AND CALLED 'TFC.' CTLR SAID HE WAS TURNING US BEHIND THE TFC, WHICH MADE NO SENSE TO US AS WE WERE BTWN THE 2 ACFT ON TCASII (1 OFF OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS) AND STAYING ON COURSE LOOKED BETTER. I STARTED THE TURN SLOWLY AND SAW HIM DSND THROUGH 1000 FT ABOVE US AND CTLR SAID 'Y HAD US IN SIGHT.' WE WERE IMC. TCASII WENT RED, TOLD US TO 'MONITOR VERT SPD,' AND I SAW HE WAS ONLY 400 FT ABOVE US. I PUSHED OVER AND PULLED THE PWR TO IDLE. '0' FT VSI AND ABOVE WERE RED, BELOW WAS GOING AND I WAS GOING DOWN OVER 1000 FPM. THE RA WAS STAYING 400 FT ABOVE US. THEN HE APPARENTLY LEVELED OUT AND THE GAP WIDENED TO ABOUT 1500 FT AS I WENT THROUGH 14500 FT. I LEVELED OFF, ADDED PWR, WAITED TILL HE WENT BY, AND STARTED CLBING AGAIN. WE TOLD ATC WHAT HAPPENED, AND WE NEVER SAW HIM IN THE CLOUDS. I BELIEVE IT WAS ATC THEN TOLD US THE RA HAD HAD US ON TCASII, NOT VISUALLY. THEN A THIRD VOICE SAID HE HAD A 1000 FT SEPARATION ON HIS TCASII. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT COULD BE UNLESS SOMEONE'S INSTS WERE OFF, AS WE BOTH SAW 400 FT IN RED ON OURS. EVEN IF HE FAILED TO SET HIS ALTIMETERS TO QNH OF 29.98 INCHES, WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO LEVEL AT 16000 FT, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 100 FT LOW. AS I SEE IT, THE MOST SERIOUS PROB WAS THE CLRNC TO 18000 FT. HAD WE BEEN LEFT WITH A 15000 FT LIMIT, ASSUMING HE HAD A 16000 FT CLRNC, TCASII WOULD PROBABLY HAVE SENSED THE LEVELOFF AND NOT CALLED AN RA, AND OF COURSE, THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A RED CONFLICT. ALSO, THE COMMAND FOR A 20 DEG L TURN PUT US INTO HIS PATH. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DELAYED THE TURN AND TOLD THE CTLR. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT HAD WE CONTINUED THE CLB AND THE TURN, WE WOULD HAVE COLLIDED OR COME EXTREMELY CLOSE. IF SOMEONE'S INSTS WERE WRONG, I THINK THEY WERE HIS (OR HE WAS TOO LOW) BECAUSE OUR 15500 FT AND 400 FT RA PUT HIM AT 15900 FT TO 16000 FT AS HE CLAIMED. WE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN 1000 FT APART. WHAT BOTHERS ME MOST IS THE CLRNC TO 18000 FT WITH THE L 20 DEG TURN, WHICH PUT US RIGHT INTO HIS PATH (NOT BEHIND HIM).

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.