Narrative:

Departed den requesting FL370. Cleared to FL290, advised of several other aircraft heading for msp at FL330 and FL370. Level at FL290 for about 5 mins. Cleared to FL330. 30-60 seconds later, cleared to turn 40 degrees left. No 'expedite' or 'traffic alert' or urgency in the controller's voice. Next transmission was to air carrier Y to turn 40 degrees left. This got my attention, but would be normal if we were both being sequenced for msp. A short time later, we got a TCASII TA. The map range needs to be 40 mi or less to display the traffic. After doing that, there was a '+7' target ahead and to the right -- 4 mi(?). I thought the target was white at that time, but a review of our manual indicates it should have been amber. If it were white, maybe TCASII logic was affected because both aircraft were already turning. Since there was no RA yet, and we were still trying to figure out exactly where the threat was, I pushed the vertical speed knob, which causes the vertical speed to go smoothly toward zero (turn continues). A few seconds after that, we got a descend RA. I disconnected the autoplt and began a descent. About that time air carrier Y advised 'climbing for TCASII RA' (probably was initially level at FL310). After the RA, we continued the climb to FL330 and eventually were cleared back on course. I'm surprised that the TCASII didn't give us a better warning considering our climb rate of only about 1000 FPM, either an earlier traffic call, or an initial reduce climb RA. Maybe the turns put us at the edge of not needing an advisory. The A320 autoplt turns at a 15 degree bank angle at high altitude cruise (not selectable as on some aircraft). If the controller had used 'expedite' with the initial turn, I could have disconnected the autoplt and used a 30 degree bank angle.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF AN A320 DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA AFTER BEING TURNED OFF COURSE BY ARTCC CTLR FOR TFC SEPARATION.

Narrative: DEPARTED DEN REQUESTING FL370. CLRED TO FL290, ADVISED OF SEVERAL OTHER ACFT HDG FOR MSP AT FL330 AND FL370. LEVEL AT FL290 FOR ABOUT 5 MINS. CLRED TO FL330. 30-60 SECONDS LATER, CLRED TO TURN 40 DEGS L. NO 'EXPEDITE' OR 'TFC ALERT' OR URGENCY IN THE CTLR'S VOICE. NEXT XMISSION WAS TO ACR Y TO TURN 40 DEGS L. THIS GOT MY ATTN, BUT WOULD BE NORMAL IF WE WERE BOTH BEING SEQUENCED FOR MSP. A SHORT TIME LATER, WE GOT A TCASII TA. THE MAP RANGE NEEDS TO BE 40 MI OR LESS TO DISPLAY THE TFC. AFTER DOING THAT, THERE WAS A '+7' TARGET AHEAD AND TO THE R -- 4 MI(?). I THOUGHT THE TARGET WAS WHITE AT THAT TIME, BUT A REVIEW OF OUR MANUAL INDICATES IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AMBER. IF IT WERE WHITE, MAYBE TCASII LOGIC WAS AFFECTED BECAUSE BOTH ACFT WERE ALREADY TURNING. SINCE THERE WAS NO RA YET, AND WE WERE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE THE THREAT WAS, I PUSHED THE VERT SPD KNOB, WHICH CAUSES THE VERT SPD TO GO SMOOTHLY TOWARD ZERO (TURN CONTINUES). A FEW SECONDS AFTER THAT, WE GOT A DSND RA. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND BEGAN A DSCNT. ABOUT THAT TIME ACR Y ADVISED 'CLBING FOR TCASII RA' (PROBABLY WAS INITIALLY LEVEL AT FL310). AFTER THE RA, WE CONTINUED THE CLB TO FL330 AND EVENTUALLY WERE CLRED BACK ON COURSE. I'M SURPRISED THAT THE TCASII DIDN'T GIVE US A BETTER WARNING CONSIDERING OUR CLB RATE OF ONLY ABOUT 1000 FPM, EITHER AN EARLIER TFC CALL, OR AN INITIAL REDUCE CLB RA. MAYBE THE TURNS PUT US AT THE EDGE OF NOT NEEDING AN ADVISORY. THE A320 AUTOPLT TURNS AT A 15 DEG BANK ANGLE AT HIGH ALT CRUISE (NOT SELECTABLE AS ON SOME ACFT). IF THE CTLR HAD USED 'EXPEDITE' WITH THE INITIAL TURN, I COULD HAVE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND USED A 30 DEG BANK ANGLE.

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.