Narrative:

A faster aircraft Y at our 4 O'clock position was climbing from below us. We got the following TCASII announcements: traffic, monitor vertical speed, climb, climb now, crossing climb, clear of conflict. TCASII was set off by a climbing and faster traffic (same direction) at our 4 O'clock position. We climbed to FL225 and traffic was 900 ft below us. We stopped our climb at FL275 because of opposite direction traffic Z at FL230. I was clear and we had both aircraft in sight. When the TCASII told us to climb, it requested 2500 FPM. Then as we converged on FL225 and we saw that the traffic below us had leveled off, we did the same, and noticed that our vsi TCASII was completely red (no climb or descend indication) and we decided to turn right to veer away from both the above and below traffic. As we turned, ATC told us to maintain FL220. Then we got 'clear of conflict' and we told ATC that the aircraft below us triggered the TCASII to which we responded, and he was surprised when he asked us if we got any TCASII RA from the traffic above, and to which we said no. I think initially, the TCASII probably wanted us to climb through the above aircraft's altitude, but he looked close and we leveled off at FL225 and the TCASII probably ran out of options and went all red.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DH8 FLC AT FL220 REACTS TO TCASII RA ACTIVATED CLB COMMAND CAUSED BY RAPIDLY CLBING TFC FROM BELOW. THE TCASII EVASIVE MANEUVER CAUSES THE DH8 FLC TO CLB INTO PROX TO OTHER XING TFC AT FL230.

Narrative: A FASTER ACFT Y AT OUR 4 O'CLOCK POS WAS CLBING FROM BELOW US. WE GOT THE FOLLOWING TCASII ANNOUNCEMENTS: TFC, MONITOR VERT SPD, CLB, CLB NOW, XING CLB, CLR OF CONFLICT. TCASII WAS SET OFF BY A CLBING AND FASTER TFC (SAME DIRECTION) AT OUR 4 O'CLOCK POS. WE CLBED TO FL225 AND TFC WAS 900 FT BELOW US. WE STOPPED OUR CLB AT FL275 BECAUSE OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC Z AT FL230. I WAS CLR AND WE HAD BOTH ACFT IN SIGHT. WHEN THE TCASII TOLD US TO CLB, IT REQUESTED 2500 FPM. THEN AS WE CONVERGED ON FL225 AND WE SAW THAT THE TFC BELOW US HAD LEVELED OFF, WE DID THE SAME, AND NOTICED THAT OUR VSI TCASII WAS COMPLETELY RED (NO CLB OR DSND INDICATION) AND WE DECIDED TO TURN R TO VEER AWAY FROM BOTH THE ABOVE AND BELOW TFC. AS WE TURNED, ATC TOLD US TO MAINTAIN FL220. THEN WE GOT 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AND WE TOLD ATC THAT THE ACFT BELOW US TRIGGERED THE TCASII TO WHICH WE RESPONDED, AND HE WAS SURPRISED WHEN HE ASKED US IF WE GOT ANY TCASII RA FROM THE TFC ABOVE, AND TO WHICH WE SAID NO. I THINK INITIALLY, THE TCASII PROBABLY WANTED US TO CLB THROUGH THE ABOVE ACFT'S ALT, BUT HE LOOKED CLOSE AND WE LEVELED OFF AT FL225 AND THE TCASII PROBABLY RAN OUT OF OPTIONS AND WENT ALL RED.

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.