Narrative:

On climb out from cle, while talking to departure control, we were cleared to climb to 12000 ft. At about 7300 ft, departure told us to descend to 7000 ft (more precisely, to 'level off at 7000 ft') immediately. I took the autothrottle off, pulled throttles to idle and pushed the nose over. At 7000 ft, we noticed traffic on the TCASII and the departure controller then told us to descend immediately to 6000 ft. As we continued descent through 6900 ft, we received an RA telling us to 'climb.' since the throttles were already at idle, we were descending and departure control was telling us to 'immediately descend,' we continued the descent. Traffic passed off of our left 100 ft above and 2 mi offset. We were re-cleared to 12000 ft, direct to aco, when another TA (also at 7000 ft) sounded. Departure control advised us to 'turn south immediately.' we did so and were cleared of traffic. Following the RA instructions would have taken time to bring up the throttles, reverse the downward trend of the aircraft, and climb back through the threat altitude. In my opinion, continuing the initial climb to 12000 ft would have avoided all problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTSS OCCURRED WHILE A DEP CTLR WAS REISSUING ALT CLRNCS TO THIS RPTING B737 FLC. THE CREW RECEIVED A TCASII RA, BUT CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM CLE, WHILE TALKING TO DEP CTL, WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO 12000 FT. AT ABOUT 7300 FT, DEP TOLD US TO DSND TO 7000 FT (MORE PRECISELY, TO 'LEVEL OFF AT 7000 FT') IMMEDIATELY. I TOOK THE AUTOTHROTTLE OFF, PULLED THROTTLES TO IDLE AND PUSHED THE NOSE OVER. AT 7000 FT, WE NOTICED TFC ON THE TCASII AND THE DEP CTLR THEN TOLD US TO DSND IMMEDIATELY TO 6000 FT. AS WE CONTINUED DSCNT THROUGH 6900 FT, WE RECEIVED AN RA TELLING US TO 'CLB.' SINCE THE THROTTLES WERE ALREADY AT IDLE, WE WERE DSNDING AND DEP CTL WAS TELLING US TO 'IMMEDIATELY DSND,' WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT. TFC PASSED OFF OF OUR L 100 FT ABOVE AND 2 MI OFFSET. WE WERE RE-CLRED TO 12000 FT, DIRECT TO ACO, WHEN ANOTHER TA (ALSO AT 7000 FT) SOUNDED. DEP CTL ADVISED US TO 'TURN S IMMEDIATELY.' WE DID SO AND WERE CLRED OF TFC. FOLLOWING THE RA INSTRUCTIONS WOULD HAVE TAKEN TIME TO BRING UP THE THROTTLES, REVERSE THE DOWNWARD TREND OF THE ACFT, AND CLB BACK THROUGH THE THREAT ALT. IN MY OPINION, CONTINUING THE INITIAL CLB TO 12000 FT WOULD HAVE AVOIDED ALL PROBS.

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.