Flight crew of an medium large transport took evasive action and stopped climbing during departure i...

Attributes
ACN	430749
Time
Date	199903
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : bae.vortac
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 21000 msl bound upper : 22700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 130
ASRS Report	430749
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 15000 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

After departure from rst and handed off to ZMP, clearance was given to climb to FL230. As PNF, I entered FL230 into the altitude window. Both pilots acknowledged the altitude of FL230 and confirmed the proper altitude. Passing FL210, the captain (PF) said that he would make an announcement to passenger of this scheduled flight replaced by air carrier X. Xfer control of the aircraft was then given to me. I acknowledged as saying 'I have the aircraft.' the captain went off communication with ATC to have a talk to the passenger in the cabin. Passing FL217 ZMP asked flight 'what is your altitude?' I acknowledged by saying, passing FL217 for FL230. She (ATC) said 'descend to FL210, I gave you FL210, traffic 12 O'clock passing left to right, maintain FL210.' at this time the captain, seeing the traffic and having visual contact, took the aircraft off autoplt, made a left turn visually. At this time an RA through TCASII was received, 'traffic, traffic,' 'monitor vertical speed,' 'monitor vertical speed,' 'climb, climb.' the captain climbed to FL226 before clear of conflict was received. I, PNF at this time, called ATC and informed them of our TCASII RA. They acknowledged with climb to FL240 contact ZMP. (Given next frequency.) nothing further was said to or from ATC. Flight continued safety without incident. It should be noted that at no time did flight receive clearance to FL210 -- at least as a final or leveloff altitude. The last we heard and acknowledged was FL230. Our conflicting traffic was at FL210 -- the wrong altitude for direction of flight. At no time was either aircraft in danger of collision. The conflicting traffic was in visual contact before we received a TCASII warning and action to avoid the traffic was taken prior to the RA. The equipment performed correctly. But more importantly, the pilots performed well. TCASII is no replacement for see and avoid.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AND STOPPED CLBING DURING DEP IN RESPONSE TO VISUAL SIGHTING OF OTHER TFC, TCASII RA, AND ARTCC CTLR TA. CTR CTLR ADVISED THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN ASSIGNED A HIGHER ALT AND TO RETURN TO THE VACATED ALT.

Narrative: AFTER DEP FROM RST AND HANDED OFF TO ZMP, CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO CLB TO FL230. AS PNF, I ENTERED FL230 INTO THE ALT WINDOW. BOTH PLTS ACKNOWLEDGED THE ALT OF FL230 AND CONFIRMED THE PROPER ALT. PASSING FL210, THE CAPT (PF) SAID THAT HE WOULD MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO PAX OF THIS SCHEDULED FLT REPLACED BY ACR X. XFER CTL OF THE ACFT WAS THEN GIVEN TO ME. I ACKNOWLEDGED AS SAYING 'I HAVE THE ACFT.' THE CAPT WENT OFF COM WITH ATC TO HAVE A TALK TO THE PAX IN THE CABIN. PASSING FL217 ZMP ASKED FLT 'WHAT IS YOUR ALT?' I ACKNOWLEDGED BY SAYING, PASSING FL217 FOR FL230. SHE (ATC) SAID 'DSND TO FL210, I GAVE YOU FL210, TFC 12 O'CLOCK PASSING L TO R, MAINTAIN FL210.' AT THIS TIME THE CAPT, SEEING THE TFC AND HAVING VISUAL CONTACT, TOOK THE ACFT OFF AUTOPLT, MADE A L TURN VISUALLY. AT THIS TIME AN RA THROUGH TCASII WAS RECEIVED, 'TFC, TFC,' 'MONITOR VERT SPD,' 'MONITOR VERT SPD,' 'CLB, CLB.' THE CAPT CLBED TO FL226 BEFORE CLR OF CONFLICT WAS RECEIVED. I, PNF AT THIS TIME, CALLED ATC AND INFORMED THEM OF OUR TCASII RA. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED WITH CLB TO FL240 CONTACT ZMP. (GIVEN NEXT FREQ.) NOTHING FURTHER WAS SAID TO OR FROM ATC. FLT CONTINUED SAFETY WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT AT NO TIME DID FLT RECEIVE CLRNC TO FL210 -- AT LEAST AS A FINAL OR LEVELOFF ALT. THE LAST WE HEARD AND ACKNOWLEDGED WAS FL230. OUR CONFLICTING TFC WAS AT FL210 -- THE WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT. AT NO TIME WAS EITHER ACFT IN DANGER OF COLLISION. THE CONFLICTING TFC WAS IN VISUAL CONTACT BEFORE WE RECEIVED A TCASII WARNING AND ACTION TO AVOID THE TFC WAS TAKEN PRIOR TO THE RA. THE EQUIP PERFORMED CORRECTLY. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE PLTS PERFORMED WELL. TCASII IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR SEE AND AVOID.

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.

Flight crew of an medium large transport took evasive action and stopped climbing during departure in response to visual sighting of other traffic, TCASII RA, and ARTCC controller TA. Center controller advised that they had not been assigned a higher altitude and to return to the vacated altitude.