2 DC9's of the same carrier have a potential conflict at FL250 near the far VOR, nd.

Attributes
ACN	486175
Time
Date	200009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	ND
Altitude	msl single value : 25000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
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
Route In Use	arrival star : gep
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
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors arrival star : gep
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	486175
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	486170
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

While cruising at FL250 and just after crossing far, we turned towards the 104 degree radial. Passing through 096 degree heading, we received a TCASII alert (yellow TA), followed shortly afterward with a red TCASII RA. TCASII informed us to descend so we did towards FL240. At approximately FL243 the RA gave us a clear of conflict. We were reassigned FL240 and vectored severely (up to 90 degree heading change) twice to put us behind another aircraft. I called the center and talked to a supervisor, and he seemed to indicate that we, as the crew, were not at fault. The advisory never left the extreme edge of our TCASII screen. We don't believe the other aircraft came very close, and the event seemed uneventful beyond the descent. Supplemental information from acn 486170: the other aircraft never got closer to us than the edge of the TCASII indicator. The other plane was in our 7-8 O'clock position, moving perpendicular to our course left to right. Supplemental information from acn 486432: on climb out through FL250 to FL280, we were cleared by ZMP to maintain heading 130 degrees to join the far 104 degree radial and the gep 4 arrival to msp. Center then issued us a TA -- 12 O'clock position and FL250 passing right to left. Center then gave us a heading of 160 degrees for the traffic. Then we got an RA to climb. Since I had traffic in sight and we were in a climb through FL250, no further evasive action was taken.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 DC9'S OF THE SAME CARRIER HAVE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT AT FL250 NEAR THE FAR VOR, ND.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT FL250 AND JUST AFTER XING FAR, WE TURNED TOWARDS THE 104 DEG RADIAL. PASSING THROUGH 096 DEG HDG, WE RECEIVED A TCASII ALERT (YELLOW TA), FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTERWARD WITH A RED TCASII RA. TCASII INFORMED US TO DSND SO WE DID TOWARDS FL240. AT APPROX FL243 THE RA GAVE US A CLR OF CONFLICT. WE WERE REASSIGNED FL240 AND VECTORED SEVERELY (UP TO 90 DEG HDG CHANGE) TWICE TO PUT US BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT. I CALLED THE CTR AND TALKED TO A SUPVR, AND HE SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT WE, AS THE CREW, WERE NOT AT FAULT. THE ADVISORY NEVER LEFT THE EXTREME EDGE OF OUR TCASII SCREEN. WE DON'T BELIEVE THE OTHER ACFT CAME VERY CLOSE, AND THE EVENT SEEMED UNEVENTFUL BEYOND THE DSCNT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 486170: THE OTHER ACFT NEVER GOT CLOSER TO US THAN THE EDGE OF THE TCASII INDICATOR. THE OTHER PLANE WAS IN OUR 7-8 O'CLOCK POS, MOVING PERPENDICULAR TO OUR COURSE L TO R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 486432: ON CLBOUT THROUGH FL250 TO FL280, WE WERE CLRED BY ZMP TO MAINTAIN HDG 130 DEGS TO JOIN THE FAR 104 DEG RADIAL AND THE GEP 4 ARR TO MSP. CTR THEN ISSUED US A TA -- 12 O'CLOCK POS AND FL250 PASSING R TO L. CTR THEN GAVE US A HDG OF 160 DEGS FOR THE TFC. THEN WE GOT AN RA TO CLB. SINCE I HAD TFC IN SIGHT AND WE WERE IN A CLB THROUGH FL250, NO FURTHER EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN.

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.