Flight crew of a DC9 descended in response to a TCASII RA during departure climb.

Attributes
ACN	461904
Time
Date	200001
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mem.vor
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound upper : 13500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Beechcraft Twin Turboprop Jet Undifferentiated or Other Model
Navigation In Use	other vortac
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 : 220 flight time total : 7100 flight time type : 1050
ASRS Report	461904
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 27000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Following our departure from memphis, we were instructed to contact departure. The departure controller cleared us to climb to 16000 ft with a vector toward sidon VOR. Upon passing 10000 ft the controller notified us of king air traffic at 10 O'clock at 14000 ft. I informed her that we did not have contact with the traffic. As we climbed through 13500 ft, the controller instructed us to maintain 13000 ft. The captain, who was the PF, initiated an immediate descent to 13000 ft. As the captain started to descend, we received an RA to descend. The TCASII depicted the king air 500 ft above our altitude. After leveling at 13000 ft, the controller instructed us to turn eastward from a sbound heading. The controller also instructed us to climb back to 16000 ft, but as the captain began the climb, we received another TCASII RA and we descended until we were clear of the conflict. We proceeded to baton rouge and called the ZME supervisor. He replayed the tapes and told us that we made the proper calls and we did not miss a call from the controller to stop at a lower altitude. The controller thought that she amended our altitude to avoid the king air traffic. He determined the conflict was controller error. This conflict may have been avoided if we queried the controller about the king air traffic 2000 ft below our assigned altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC9 DSNDED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA DURING DEP CLB.

Narrative: FOLLOWING OUR DEP FROM MEMPHIS, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP. THE DEP CTLR CLRED US TO CLB TO 16000 FT WITH A VECTOR TOWARD SIDON VOR. UPON PASSING 10000 FT THE CTLR NOTIFIED US OF KING AIR TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK AT 14000 FT. I INFORMED HER THAT WE DID NOT HAVE CONTACT WITH THE TFC. AS WE CLBED THROUGH 13500 FT, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN 13000 FT. THE CAPT, WHO WAS THE PF, INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 13000 FT. AS THE CAPT STARTED TO DSND, WE RECEIVED AN RA TO DSND. THE TCASII DEPICTED THE KING AIR 500 FT ABOVE OUR ALT. AFTER LEVELING AT 13000 FT, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN EASTWARD FROM A SBOUND HDG. THE CTLR ALSO INSTRUCTED US TO CLB BACK TO 16000 FT, BUT AS THE CAPT BEGAN THE CLB, WE RECEIVED ANOTHER TCASII RA AND WE DSNDED UNTIL WE WERE CLR OF THE CONFLICT. WE PROCEEDED TO BATON ROUGE AND CALLED THE ZME SUPVR. HE REPLAYED THE TAPES AND TOLD US THAT WE MADE THE PROPER CALLS AND WE DID NOT MISS A CALL FROM THE CTLR TO STOP AT A LOWER ALT. THE CTLR THOUGHT THAT SHE AMENDED OUR ALT TO AVOID THE KING AIR TFC. HE DETERMINED THE CONFLICT WAS CTLR ERROR. THIS CONFLICT MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT THE KING AIR TFC 2000 FT BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT.

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.