MD88 and unknown military aircraft had less than legal separation.

Attributes
ACN	421340
Time
Date	199811
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lym
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	421340
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 800
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight abcd was held at 15000 ft during climb out due to crossing traffic (military) at 16000 ft. ATC advised each aircraft and each aircraft called traffic in sight. ATC then cleared us to climb to FL200 and maintain visual separation. VNAV climb was commanded, but it became clear that this method of climb would be too slow. At 15200 ft autoplt was disengaged and the aircraft was leveled. As the TCASII came on, aircraft was hand flown back to 15000 ft and when clear of military aircraft, autoplt re-engaged and climbed to FL200.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 AND UNKNOWN MIL ACFT HAD LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION.

Narrative: FLT ABCD WAS HELD AT 15000 FT DURING CLBOUT DUE TO XING TFC (MIL) AT 16000 FT. ATC ADVISED EACH ACFT AND EACH ACFT CALLED TFC IN SIGHT. ATC THEN CLRED US TO CLB TO FL200 AND MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. VNAV CLB WAS COMMANDED, BUT IT BECAME CLR THAT THIS METHOD OF CLB WOULD BE TOO SLOW. AT 15200 FT AUTOPLT WAS DISENGAGED AND THE ACFT WAS LEVELED. AS THE TCASII CAME ON, ACFT WAS HAND FLOWN BACK TO 15000 FT AND WHEN CLR OF MIL ACFT, AUTOPLT RE-ENGAGED AND CLBED TO FL200.

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.