Narrative:

We were in cruise flight at FL330 on the cypress 3 arrival. As we (aircraft X) progressed on the STAR to mia, I mentioned to the captain that we seemed a bit high to make our expected crossing restr at the point on the STAR. I asked center for lower, and didn't hear a response. I tried again, only to hear another pilot respond, 'blocked.' I listened for a few seconds and realized that we could only hear pilots transmitting, not the controllers. I figured that the previous sector had forgotten to hand us off and we flew out of their range, so the captain and I both looked for a ZMA frequency on the chart. We picked one at random and I made contact. He asked our position. I replied that we were at FL330 approaching the cyy VOR. He told us to switch to another frequency. As I checked in, the controller asked our position. I told him we were turning over the cyy VOR on the arrival at FL330. About that time, the TCASII announced 'traffic!' and showed a target at 12 O'clock and about 8 mi at our altitude. The controller again asked our position and I repeated my previous transmission. The TCASII then gave us an RA, commanding us to descend. The captain disengaged the autoplt and descended about 700 ft, to FL323. We also had visual contact with the airplane (aircraft Y) traveling in the opposite direction at FL330. I estimate our horizontal separation to be about 1 mi. Once the traffic was past us, we climbed back to FL330. I told the controller that we had an RA. The controller did not acknowledge this, but instead told us to expedite down to FL240. On the arrival, the controller gave us a series of s-turns to make the crossing point. The controller then told us to call them once we got on the ground. We landed without further incident. The captain spoke to a supervisor on the phone. His main concern seemed to be why the controller didn't keep the other aircraft out of our way, since they weren't talking to us in the moments before the traffic conflict. We told him our side of the story. He thanked us for the information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD82 INITIATES EVASIVE TCASII MANEUVER DUE TO OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAME ALT TFC.

Narrative: WE WERE IN CRUISE FLT AT FL330 ON THE CYPRESS 3 ARR. AS WE (ACFT X) PROGRESSED ON THE STAR TO MIA, I MENTIONED TO THE CAPT THAT WE SEEMED A BIT HIGH TO MAKE OUR EXPECTED XING RESTR AT THE POINT ON THE STAR. I ASKED CTR FOR LOWER, AND DIDN'T HEAR A RESPONSE. I TRIED AGAIN, ONLY TO HEAR ANOTHER PLT RESPOND, 'BLOCKED.' I LISTENED FOR A FEW SECONDS AND REALIZED THAT WE COULD ONLY HEAR PLTS XMITTING, NOT THE CTLRS. I FIGURED THAT THE PREVIOUS SECTOR HAD FORGOTTEN TO HAND US OFF AND WE FLEW OUT OF THEIR RANGE, SO THE CAPT AND I BOTH LOOKED FOR A ZMA FREQ ON THE CHART. WE PICKED ONE AT RANDOM AND I MADE CONTACT. HE ASKED OUR POS. I REPLIED THAT WE WERE AT FL330 APCHING THE CYY VOR. HE TOLD US TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER FREQ. AS I CHKED IN, THE CTLR ASKED OUR POS. I TOLD HIM WE WERE TURNING OVER THE CYY VOR ON THE ARR AT FL330. ABOUT THAT TIME, THE TCASII ANNOUNCED 'TFC!' AND SHOWED A TARGET AT 12 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 8 MI AT OUR ALT. THE CTLR AGAIN ASKED OUR POS AND I REPEATED MY PREVIOUS XMISSION. THE TCASII THEN GAVE US AN RA, COMMANDING US TO DSND. THE CAPT DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND DSNDED ABOUT 700 FT, TO FL323. WE ALSO HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE (ACFT Y) TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT FL330. I ESTIMATE OUR HORIZ SEPARATION TO BE ABOUT 1 MI. ONCE THE TFC WAS PAST US, WE CLBED BACK TO FL330. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE HAD AN RA. THE CTLR DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS, BUT INSTEAD TOLD US TO EXPEDITE DOWN TO FL240. ON THE ARR, THE CTLR GAVE US A SERIES OF S-TURNS TO MAKE THE XING POINT. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO CALL THEM ONCE WE GOT ON THE GND. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CAPT SPOKE TO A SUPVR ON THE PHONE. HIS MAIN CONCERN SEEMED TO BE WHY THE CTLR DIDN'T KEEP THE OTHER ACFT OUT OF OUR WAY, SINCE THEY WEREN'T TALKING TO US IN THE MOMENTS BEFORE THE TFC CONFLICT. WE TOLD HIM OUR SIDE OF THE STORY. HE THANKED US FOR THE INFO.

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.