ARTCC descended reporter too late and turned reporter into other traffic prompting a TCASII RA.

Attributes
ACN	336919
Time
Date	199605
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rmg
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3250
ASRS Report	336919
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 1500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

We were flying from dtw-atl at FL330. At some point we were taken down to FL310. Level at FL310, we were cleared to descend to FL290. Proceeding 'direct rome' and 'rome 8' arrival into atl. Our rate of descent was company's standard rate of 1000 FPM above FL290. Next center gave us a turn to 270 degrees for traffic, followed by 'expedite to FL290' and expedite to heading 270 degrees. Next couple of items occurred at about the same time. An aircraft called the center to advise them that they had traffic conflict on their TCASII. The first officer was flying and when I heard air carrier X call I immediately noticed him on our TCASII, about 1 O'clock position with '00' for altitude separation. Our TCASII went off and gave us an RA. At this time I disconnected the autoplt and manually flew out the RA and leveled off at FL290. Autoplt was re- engaged and the aircraft was passed back to the first officer. As we passed under air carrier X, the first officer said he noticed our separation indicated 1500 ft from air carrier X and we estimated that we passed within 2 mi horizontally of each other. The controller waited too long to take us down and when he finally did, he did not ask us to 'expedite' or advise us that it was for traffic until it was too late. What made the situation even worse was that by turning us to a heading of 270 degrees, he turned us right into our traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC DSNDED RPTR TOO LATE AND TURNED RPTR INTO OTHER TFC PROMPTING A TCASII RA.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FROM DTW-ATL AT FL330. AT SOME POINT WE WERE TAKEN DOWN TO FL310. LEVEL AT FL310, WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO FL290. PROCEEDING 'DIRECT ROME' AND 'ROME 8' ARR INTO ATL. OUR RATE OF DSCNT WAS COMPANY'S STANDARD RATE OF 1000 FPM ABOVE FL290. NEXT CTR GAVE US A TURN TO 270 DEGS FOR TFC, FOLLOWED BY 'EXPEDITE TO FL290' AND EXPEDITE TO HDG 270 DEGS. NEXT COUPLE OF ITEMS OCCURRED AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. AN ACFT CALLED THE CTR TO ADVISE THEM THAT THEY HAD TFC CONFLICT ON THEIR TCASII. THE FO WAS FLYING AND WHEN I HEARD ACR X CALL I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED HIM ON OUR TCASII, ABOUT 1 O'CLOCK POS WITH '00' FOR ALT SEPARATION. OUR TCASII WENT OFF AND GAVE US AN RA. AT THIS TIME I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND MANUALLY FLEW OUT THE RA AND LEVELED OFF AT FL290. AUTOPLT WAS RE- ENGAGED AND THE ACFT WAS PASSED BACK TO THE FO. AS WE PASSED UNDER ACR X, THE FO SAID HE NOTICED OUR SEPARATION INDICATED 1500 FT FROM ACR X AND WE ESTIMATED THAT WE PASSED WITHIN 2 MI HORIZLY OF EACH OTHER. THE CTLR WAITED TOO LONG TO TAKE US DOWN AND WHEN HE FINALLY DID, HE DID NOT ASK US TO 'EXPEDITE' OR ADVISE US THAT IT WAS FOR TFC UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. WHAT MADE THE SIT EVEN WORSE WAS THAT BY TURNING US TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS, HE TURNED US RIGHT INTO OUR TFC.

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.