Narrative:

Aircraft was cruising at FL280 and on autoplt. Aircraft at mach .80, proceeding direct to tay as cleared by ZJX. We were given a frequency change. ZJX frequency was 133.30. 3 attempts to contact the center were made with no response from the controller. His airspace was saturated and his workload extremely high. After the third attempt to contact the controller, I pushed the identify button on the transponder in an attempt to gain the attention of the controller. As we waited for the controller's response, another aircraft (a cessna citation) approached our route of flight from the south. I brought the aircraft's position to the attention of the crew as they were trying to raise ZJX. The citation continued to head in our direction as the TCASII sounded 'traffic.' at almost the same time, the controller commanded us to turn left to 090 degrees, and make the turn tight. The cessna was within 3 mi of our aircraft at the same altitude. I disconnected the autoplt and rolled the aircraft into a 40 degree angle of bank turn to the left. At that time the TCASII announced 'descend now.' I did not descend because the controller had just told the cessna to descend. As the cessna initiated his descent, the TCASII announced 'climb.' after we were clear of conflict, I stated to the controller that we had experienced an RA from the TCASII, and stated that we had been on course, on speed, and on altitude prior to the RA. The controller acknowledged our transmission. We then asked for a landline number to contact the center on upon landing in rsw. I spoke with the area manager for ZJX. He indicated that the controller should have stopped the cessna at FL270 and did not. He indicated that there would be action taken against the controller and that he had been relieved from duty. I idented myself to the area manager and stated that the purpose of my call was to learn from the experience and to state that I personally had no intentions of filing any action against the controller. He thanked me for the call and advised that he would have to act against the controller. I called dispatch to advise of the incident and request that it be logged on the dispatch records for appropriate company notification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF B727 RPTS TCASII TA THEN RA WHEN AT CRUISE ALT. THE OTHER ACFT WAS A CITATION AT SAME ALT AND CLOSING. FLC WAS ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT CTR WITHOUT SUCCESS. CTLR FINALLY CAME ON WITH A VECTOR FOR SEPARATION. CAPT CALLED SUPVR AND CTLR ERROR WAS ADMITTED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS CRUISING AT FL280 AND ON AUTOPLT. ACFT AT MACH .80, PROCEEDING DIRECT TO TAY AS CLRED BY ZJX. WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE. ZJX FREQ WAS 133.30. 3 ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE CTR WERE MADE WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR. HIS AIRSPACE WAS SATURATED AND HIS WORKLOAD EXTREMELY HIGH. AFTER THE THIRD ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE CTLR, I PUSHED THE IDENT BUTTON ON THE XPONDER IN AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN THE ATTN OF THE CTLR. AS WE WAITED FOR THE CTLR'S RESPONSE, ANOTHER ACFT (A CESSNA CITATION) APCHED OUR RTE OF FLT FROM THE S. I BROUGHT THE ACFT'S POS TO THE ATTN OF THE CREW AS THEY WERE TRYING TO RAISE ZJX. THE CITATION CONTINUED TO HEAD IN OUR DIRECTION AS THE TCASII SOUNDED 'TFC.' AT ALMOST THE SAME TIME, THE CTLR COMMANDED US TO TURN L TO 090 DEGS, AND MAKE THE TURN TIGHT. THE CESSNA WAS WITHIN 3 MI OF OUR ACFT AT THE SAME ALT. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND ROLLED THE ACFT INTO A 40 DEG ANGLE OF BANK TURN TO THE L. AT THAT TIME THE TCASII ANNOUNCED 'DSND NOW.' I DID NOT DSND BECAUSE THE CTLR HAD JUST TOLD THE CESSNA TO DSND. AS THE CESSNA INITIATED HIS DSCNT, THE TCASII ANNOUNCED 'CLB.' AFTER WE WERE CLR OF CONFLICT, I STATED TO THE CTLR THAT WE HAD EXPERIENCED AN RA FROM THE TCASII, AND STATED THAT WE HAD BEEN ON COURSE, ON SPD, AND ON ALT PRIOR TO THE RA. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED OUR XMISSION. WE THEN ASKED FOR A LANDLINE NUMBER TO CONTACT THE CTR ON UPON LNDG IN RSW. I SPOKE WITH THE AREA MGR FOR ZJX. HE INDICATED THAT THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THE CESSNA AT FL270 AND DID NOT. HE INDICATED THAT THERE WOULD BE ACTION TAKEN AGAINST THE CTLR AND THAT HE HAD BEEN RELIEVED FROM DUTY. I IDENTED MYSELF TO THE AREA MGR AND STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF MY CALL WAS TO LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE AND TO STATE THAT I PERSONALLY HAD NO INTENTIONS OF FILING ANY ACTION AGAINST THE CTLR. HE THANKED ME FOR THE CALL AND ADVISED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO ACT AGAINST THE CTLR. I CALLED DISPATCH TO ADVISE OF THE INCIDENT AND REQUEST THAT IT BE LOGGED ON THE DISPATCH RECORDS FOR APPROPRIATE COMPANY NOTIFICATION.

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.