Narrative:

We were 50 mi north of crl at 16000 ft en route to jax. I heard on the radio air carrier a check in climbing to 15000 ft off of crl. Center told air carrier a he had traffic, an air carrier B saab heading northbound at 16000 ft, 10 mi ahead, I assumed it was us. I watched on TCASII the traffic catching us 1000 ft below. At 3 mi he said he had traffic in sight. Air carrier a was told to maintain visual separation and climb to FL230, nothing was ever said to us. The traffic was directly behind us, 6 O'clock, on TCASII we never had him visually. When the traffic was 500 ft below and climbing we got a climb RA. We came off of the autoplt and started an immediate climb. I notified center that we were in a climb due to a TCASII RA. We couldn't turn because the traffic was still at 6 O'clock and we didn't know which way he was turning. We also couldn't out climb him since he was a jet and we were a turboprop. Center advised air carrier a that we were climbing due to an RA. He said he also had an RA but had us visually. The guy took a visual climb clearance and climbed into an RA. I finally got visual contact with the traffic at 3 O'clock in a right turn 200 ft above, climbing and about 1.5 mi. These are estimates because I didn't look down at the TCASII because I was trying to pick him up visually. The whole occurrence took about 30 seconds. We climbed to 16900 ft. After we descended back down center asked if we were required to follow an RA if the traffic had us in sight. I told him yes and that we didn't have him in sight until it was over. I don't think there should be a visual climb clearance when one aircraft is directly behind the other. This is the second time in a month and a half this episode has happened in the same area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR JET, GAINING ON A SAAB AND CLBING THROUGH HIS ALT WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. ACFT CLBED CLOSE ENOUGH TO CAUSE A TCASII RA. THE SAAB TRIED TO EVADE BY CLBING BUT WAS UNABLE. THE JET PASSED ONE AND ONE HALF MI TO THE SIDE, CLBING THROUGH HIS ALT.

Narrative: WE WERE 50 MI N OF CRL AT 16000 FT ENRTE TO JAX. I HEARD ON THE RADIO ACR A CHK IN CLBING TO 15000 FT OFF OF CRL. CTR TOLD ACR A HE HAD TFC, AN ACR B SAAB HEADING NBOUND AT 16000 FT, 10 MI AHEAD, I ASSUMED IT WAS US. I WATCHED ON TCASII THE TFC CATCHING US 1000 FT BELOW. AT 3 MI HE SAID HE HAD TFC IN SIGHT. ACR A WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION AND CLB TO FL230, NOTHING WAS EVER SAID TO US. THE TFC WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND US, 6 O'CLOCK, ON TCASII WE NEVER HAD HIM VISUALLY. WHEN THE TFC WAS 500 FT BELOW AND CLBING WE GOT A CLB RA. WE CAME OFF OF THE AUTOPLT AND STARTED AN IMMEDIATE CLB. I NOTIFIED CTR THAT WE WERE IN A CLB DUE TO A TCASII RA. WE COULDN'T TURN BECAUSE THE TFC WAS STILL AT 6 O'CLOCK AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHICH WAY HE WAS TURNING. WE ALSO COULDN'T OUT CLB HIM SINCE HE WAS A JET AND WE WERE A TURBOPROP. CTR ADVISED ACR A THAT WE WERE CLBING DUE TO AN RA. HE SAID HE ALSO HAD AN RA BUT HAD US VISUALLY. THE GUY TOOK A VISUAL CLB CLRNC AND CLBED INTO AN RA. I FINALLY GOT VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC AT 3 O'CLOCK IN A R TURN 200 FT ABOVE, CLBING AND ABOUT 1.5 MI. THESE ARE ESTIMATES BECAUSE I DIDN'T LOOK DOWN AT THE TCASII BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO PICK HIM UP VISUALLY. THE WHOLE OCCURRENCE TOOK ABOUT 30 SECONDS. WE CLBED TO 16900 FT. AFTER WE DSNDED BACK DOWN CTR ASKED IF WE WERE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW AN RA IF THE TFC HAD US IN SIGHT. I TOLD HIM YES AND THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE HIM IN SIGHT UNTIL IT WAS OVER. I DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BE A VISUAL CLB CLRNC WHEN ONE ACFT IS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE OTHER. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN A MONTH AND A HALF THIS EPISODE HAS HAPPENED IN THE SAME AREA.

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.