Narrative:

Level at 14000 ft MSL, traffic was pointed out to us by ZDC at 15000 ft. We reported traffic in sight at about 18 mi as it was a clear night. Approximately 5 mi later, controller asked if we still had traffic and we responded in the affirmative. He then gave us a climb to FL200. Out of about 14500 ft or so, we realized the traffic was coming toward us. We previously thought he was same direction. Then the TCASII was issuing a descend command, but our closure rate was such that I feared that the parabola necessary to transition back to a descent would cause us to hit as we were climbing about 2000 FPM. Instead, we increased climb to about 3500 FPM and flew over the traffic by approximately 700 ft. I feel that our belief that the traffic was going in our same direction started the chain of events. Had we known he was opposite direction we would have refused the climb clearance. The TCASII RA seemed to delay more than normal, or at the very least seemed to direct a descent when a climb seemed more appropriate. The fact that the controller never asked us to expedite our climb made me feel as though he may not have realized we would pass the other aircraft so closely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 IGNORED A TCASII RA DSND ADVISORY AND PASSED OVER THE OTHER ACFT BY 700 FT NEAR RIC.

Narrative: LEVEL AT 14000 FT MSL, TFC WAS POINTED OUT TO US BY ZDC AT 15000 FT. WE RPTED TFC IN SIGHT AT ABOUT 18 MI AS IT WAS A CLR NIGHT. APPROX 5 MI LATER, CTLR ASKED IF WE STILL HAD TFC AND WE RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. HE THEN GAVE US A CLB TO FL200. OUT OF ABOUT 14500 FT OR SO, WE REALIZED THE TFC WAS COMING TOWARD US. WE PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT HE WAS SAME DIRECTION. THEN THE TCASII WAS ISSUING A DSND COMMAND, BUT OUR CLOSURE RATE WAS SUCH THAT I FEARED THAT THE PARABOLA NECESSARY TO TRANSITION BACK TO A DSCNT WOULD CAUSE US TO HIT AS WE WERE CLBING ABOUT 2000 FPM. INSTEAD, WE INCREASED CLB TO ABOUT 3500 FPM AND FLEW OVER THE TFC BY APPROX 700 FT. I FEEL THAT OUR BELIEF THAT THE TFC WAS GOING IN OUR SAME DIRECTION STARTED THE CHAIN OF EVENTS. HAD WE KNOWN HE WAS OPPOSITE DIRECTION WE WOULD HAVE REFUSED THE CLB CLRNC. THE TCASII RA SEEMED TO DELAY MORE THAN NORMAL, OR AT THE VERY LEAST SEEMED TO DIRECT A DSCNT WHEN A CLB SEEMED MORE APPROPRIATE. THE FACT THAT THE CTLR NEVER ASKED US TO EXPEDITE OUR CLB MADE ME FEEL AS THOUGH HE MAY NOT HAVE REALIZED WE WOULD PASS THE OTHER ACFT SO CLOSELY.

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.