Narrative:

We were on the arrival at FL210. ATC points out traffic at 10 O'clock crossing left to right level at FL220, a military C5A, we had him visual and on the TCASII. It was apparent when he started to turn right he would cross almost directly above us or slightly to our right. We briefed on possible wake turbulence and why center would vector him directly over us. During that brief ATC pointed out traffic at 9 O'clock climbing to FL200. I looked but couldn't pick him up visually. I glanced at the TCASII. He was at 9 O'clock, 4 mi and heading towards us too. The C5A was now at 12 O'clock and slightly in front of us. While watching the C5A the TCASII gave us an RA and climb at 2000 FPM. I turned off the autoplt and looked for the traffic while starting a slow climb to allow the C5A to pass to the right. I saw the aircraft with its identify lights on coming at us. He looked like he would bust his altitude. I immediately started climbing at 2000 FPM. At 21500 ft the RA went away and I leveled at 21600 ft. During the climb the PNF told center we had an RA and were climbing. Center said to go back to 21000 ft, the other aircraft leveled at FL200. Center also said he thought we had the climbing aircraft visually and it sounded like he thought we shouldn't have left our altitude because we had him. First, we didn't when we got the RA and second ignoring the RA is against policy. I was puzzled that the controller with no WX and no other traffic within sight of our area put us all in that situation so close to each other. The aircraft climbing below us must have had a very rapid rate of climb for our TCASII to give us a 2000 FPM RA to climb. His TCASII had to have told him to decrease his rate or stop climb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A CPR JET CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA RESULTING IN LOSING STANDARD SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT, MIL C5A WHICH WAS ONLY 1000 FT ABOVE THEIR ALT.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE ARR AT FL210. ATC POINTS OUT TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK XING L TO R LEVEL AT FL220, A MIL C5A, WE HAD HIM VISUAL AND ON THE TCASII. IT WAS APPARENT WHEN HE STARTED TO TURN R HE WOULD CROSS ALMOST DIRECTLY ABOVE US OR SLIGHTLY TO OUR R. WE BRIEFED ON POSSIBLE WAKE TURB AND WHY CTR WOULD VECTOR HIM DIRECTLY OVER US. DURING THAT BRIEF ATC POINTED OUT TFC AT 9 O'CLOCK CLBING TO FL200. I LOOKED BUT COULDN'T PICK HIM UP VISUALLY. I GLANCED AT THE TCASII. HE WAS AT 9 O'CLOCK, 4 MI AND HEADING TOWARDS US TOO. THE C5A WAS NOW AT 12 O'CLOCK AND SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF US. WHILE WATCHING THE C5A THE TCASII GAVE US AN RA AND CLB AT 2000 FPM. I TURNED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND LOOKED FOR THE TFC WHILE STARTING A SLOW CLB TO ALLOW THE C5A TO PASS TO THE R. I SAW THE ACFT WITH ITS IDENT LIGHTS ON COMING AT US. HE LOOKED LIKE HE WOULD BUST HIS ALT. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED CLBING AT 2000 FPM. AT 21500 FT THE RA WENT AWAY AND I LEVELED AT 21600 FT. DURING THE CLB THE PNF TOLD CTR WE HAD AN RA AND WERE CLBING. CTR SAID TO GO BACK TO 21000 FT, THE OTHER ACFT LEVELED AT FL200. CTR ALSO SAID HE THOUGHT WE HAD THE CLBING ACFT VISUALLY AND IT SOUNDED LIKE HE THOUGHT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE LEFT OUR ALT BECAUSE WE HAD HIM. FIRST, WE DIDN'T WHEN WE GOT THE RA AND SECOND IGNORING THE RA IS AGAINST POLICY. I WAS PUZZLED THAT THE CTLR WITH NO WX AND NO OTHER TFC WITHIN SIGHT OF OUR AREA PUT US ALL IN THAT SIT SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. THE ACFT CLBING BELOW US MUST HAVE HAD A VERY RAPID RATE OF CLB FOR OUR TCASII TO GIVE US A 2000 FPM RA TO CLB. HIS TCASII HAD TO HAVE TOLD HIM TO DECREASE HIS RATE OR STOP CLB.

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.