Narrative:

We departed cvg on assigned heading of 090 degrees and switched to ZID. Center cleared us to FL230 and assigned a heading of 110 degrees. We requested permission to deviate for WX and center approved. The controller then switched us to the next controller. No one answered on this frequency so we returned to the previous controller. He gave us a different frequency to try and make the comment that 'they are really busy over there.' this was the last time we were able to communicate with a controller until after the TCASII RA nor did we get any alert or TA from ATC. On the new frequency we could tell that the controller was swamped with radio xmissions. We made a number of attempts to check in. Even the controller's xmissions to other aircraft were blocked. We had now encountered moderate icing and turbulence and were still trying to deviate for WX. Our attention was drawn to a TCASII target at 2:30 O'clock position and 10 mi descending from FL240. We quickly realized that this target was heading towards us and through our altitude. We turned left to increase the separation and then received a TCASII RA to descend. We complied and had descended approximately 400 ft when the RA command reversed to climb. The aircraft then passed behind us without incident. The other aircraft did not appear to alter its flight path. We were finally able to contact the ATC controller who gave us no indication of any problem. We advised the controller of the RA and were told that they knew about it but were very busy beforehand. A subsequent controller gave us a phone number to call 'about the RA.' a later phone conversation with the center we were told that this was not just about an RA and he alleged that we had deviated from a clearance. A lack of communication was at the core of this problem. We had not received any further clearance point after our deviation. We attempted to establish communications several times. If the controller was not so busy this would not have happened. There were too many aircraft for the controller to talk to and we never received any traffic warnings.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TCASII TA RA HAD LTSS FROM ACFT DSNDING THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT. SYS ERROR. PLTDEV.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED CVG ON ASSIGNED HDG OF 090 DEGS AND SWITCHED TO ZID. CTR CLRED US TO FL230 AND ASSIGNED A HDG OF 110 DEGS. WE REQUESTED PERMISSION TO DEVIATE FOR WX AND CTR APPROVED. THE CTLR THEN SWITCHED US TO THE NEXT CTLR. NO ONE ANSWERED ON THIS FREQ SO WE RETURNED TO THE PREVIOUS CTLR. HE GAVE US A DIFFERENT FREQ TO TRY AND MAKE THE COMMENT THAT 'THEY ARE REALLY BUSY OVER THERE.' THIS WAS THE LAST TIME WE WERE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH A CTLR UNTIL AFTER THE TCASII RA NOR DID WE GET ANY ALERT OR TA FROM ATC. ON THE NEW FREQ WE COULD TELL THAT THE CTLR WAS SWAMPED WITH RADIO XMISSIONS. WE MADE A NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS TO CHK IN. EVEN THE CTLR'S XMISSIONS TO OTHER ACFT WERE BLOCKED. WE HAD NOW ENCOUNTERED MODERATE ICING AND TURB AND WERE STILL TRYING TO DEVIATE FOR WX. OUR ATTN WAS DRAWN TO A TCASII TARGET AT 2:30 O'CLOCK POS AND 10 MI DSNDING FROM FL240. WE QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THIS TARGET WAS HDG TOWARDS US AND THROUGH OUR ALT. WE TURNED L TO INCREASE THE SEPARATION AND THEN RECEIVED A TCASII RA TO DSND. WE COMPLIED AND HAD DSNDED APPROX 400 FT WHEN THE RA COMMAND REVERSED TO CLB. THE ACFT THEN PASSED BEHIND US WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE OTHER ACFT DID NOT APPEAR TO ALTER ITS FLT PATH. WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO CONTACT THE ATC CTLR WHO GAVE US NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB. WE ADVISED THE CTLR OF THE RA AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT IT BUT WERE VERY BUSY BEFOREHAND. A SUBSEQUENT CTLR GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL 'ABOUT THE RA.' A LATER PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE CTR WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT JUST ABOUT AN RA AND HE ALLEGED THAT WE HAD DEVIATED FROM A CLRNC. A LACK OF COM WAS AT THE CORE OF THIS PROB. WE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY FURTHER CLRNC POINT AFTER OUR DEV. WE ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH COMS SEVERAL TIMES. IF THE CTLR WAS NOT SO BUSY THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THERE WERE TOO MANY ACFT FOR THE CTLR TO TALK TO AND WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY TFC WARNINGS.

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.