Flight crew of a B727 stopped climbing and descended in response to a TCASII RA during a STAR arrival. ARTCC controller instructed them to climb to provide with separation with a DC9.

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Attributes
ACN	441091
Time
Date	199906
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : eau.vortac
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : eau.eau4
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
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 : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	441091
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Near midair collision. Proceeding inbound on the eau 3 arrival into msp at FL260, ATC requested us to climb to FL290 expeditiously. I began an immediate climb and assumed it was due to traffic, as this climb was not requested by us. Shortly after initiating the climb, we got a TCASII traffic alert. Several seconds later, we got an RA to descend. Autoplt was disconnected and an immediate descent was made. At this point, we saw a DC9 coming at us from above. Had we continued our climb given by ATC, we surely would have collided. Center was advised that we were descending and that we were involved in a near miss. ATC controller was confused and was unsure what clearance to give us. After several seconds of delay, we were told to descend to FL240. ATC had not advised us of the approaching aircraft. The FAA is currently investigating this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B727 STOPPED CLBING AND DSNDED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA DURING A STAR ARR. ARTCC CTLR INSTRUCTED THEM TO CLB TO PROVIDE WITH SEPARATION WITH A DC9.

Narrative: NMAC. PROCEEDING INBOUND ON THE EAU 3 ARR INTO MSP AT FL260, ATC REQUESTED US TO CLB TO FL290 EXPEDITIOUSLY. I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE CLB AND ASSUMED IT WAS DUE TO TFC, AS THIS CLB WAS NOT REQUESTED BY US. SHORTLY AFTER INITIATING THE CLB, WE GOT A TCASII TFC ALERT. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, WE GOT AN RA TO DSND. AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED AND AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT WAS MADE. AT THIS POINT, WE SAW A DC9 COMING AT US FROM ABOVE. HAD WE CONTINUED OUR CLB GIVEN BY ATC, WE SURELY WOULD HAVE COLLIDED. CTR WAS ADVISED THAT WE WERE DSNDING AND THAT WE WERE INVOLVED IN A NEAR MISS. ATC CTLR WAS CONFUSED AND WAS UNSURE WHAT CLRNC TO GIVE US. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS OF DELAY, WE WERE TOLD TO DSND TO FL240. ATC HAD NOT ADVISED US OF THE APCHING ACFT. THE FAA IS CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING THIS INCIDENT.

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.