Narrative:

The flight was proceeding wbound. We had asked for 'wrong direction' at FL410 to get above turbulence. The first officer and I were in the midst of a discussion relating to operational matters. ZLC advised us of traffic (at 12 O'clock position I believe) and ordered a 30 degree turn to the right. My first thought was that this was a normal situation. It is not unusual for an aircraft cruising at an altitude not normal for their direction of flight to be vectored out of the way of an oncoming aircraft at the appropriate altitude. (From the beginning we both thought the other aircraft was also at FL410, in cruise.) it was at this point the TCASII issued a traffic alert. It displayed an amber target between the 2 1/2 and 5 mi rings (approximately 3-4 mi) at '11 O'clock position, and 02 for the relative altitude. We searched for the target visually, but did not see it. The controller was talking to another aircraft, the anxiety level was increasing and then the TCASII commanded 'climb, climb now.' the display showed a red target superimposed on our aircraft symbol with '00' for the relative altitude. I immediately pulled back on the yoke, disconnected the autothrottles and increased power. After passing 41200 ft to 41300 ft the 'clear of conflict' message was sounded by the TCASII. I estimate the elapsed time from the center controller's first alert/command to the 'clear of conflict' message was about 15 seconds. Everything happened very fast. We climbed around 700 ft above our assigned altitude of 41000 ft. Just after the TCASII sounded 'clear of conflict' we heard a learjet report an engine flameout and stating they were descending to 15000 ft to attempt a restart. The copilot and I both thought we must have just missed hitting him. Upon landing I contacted ZLC and spoke with mr xyz. He stated that the learjet had been eastbound at FL430 and experienced an engine flameout which resulted in him drifting down through our altitude. I believe he stated that the controller's first indication of a pending conflict was when he realized the learjet was not at his assigned altitude and closing on us. I told him what our TCASII indications were. He stated that their tapes indicated our closest point of approach was 3 1/2 mi and 400 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCASII RA AT FL410 WHEN AN ACFT ABOVE HAS ENG FLAMEOUT AND DSNDS THROUGH RPTING ACFT'S ALT PRIOR TO NOTIFYING ARTCC OR BEING OBSERVED BY ARTCC.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS PROCEEDING WBOUND. WE HAD ASKED FOR 'WRONG DIRECTION' AT FL410 TO GET ABOVE TURB. THE FO AND I WERE IN THE MIDST OF A DISCUSSION RELATING TO OPERATIONAL MATTERS. ZLC ADVISED US OF TFC (AT 12 O'CLOCK POS I BELIEVE) AND ORDERED A 30 DEG TURN TO THE R. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL SIT. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR AN ACFT CRUISING AT AN ALT NOT NORMAL FOR THEIR DIRECTION OF FLT TO BE VECTORED OUT OF THE WAY OF AN ONCOMING ACFT AT THE APPROPRIATE ALT. (FROM THE BEGINNING WE BOTH THOUGHT THE OTHER ACFT WAS ALSO AT FL410, IN CRUISE.) IT WAS AT THIS POINT THE TCASII ISSUED A TFC ALERT. IT DISPLAYED AN AMBER TARGET BTWN THE 2 1/2 AND 5 MI RINGS (APPROX 3-4 MI) AT '11 O'CLOCK POS, AND 02 FOR THE RELATIVE ALT. WE SEARCHED FOR THE TARGET VISUALLY, BUT DID NOT SEE IT. THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT, THE ANXIETY LEVEL WAS INCREASING AND THEN THE TCASII COMMANDED 'CLB, CLB NOW.' THE DISPLAY SHOWED A RED TARGET SUPERIMPOSED ON OUR ACFT SYMBOL WITH '00' FOR THE RELATIVE ALT. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE, DISCONNECTED THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND INCREASED PWR. AFTER PASSING 41200 FT TO 41300 FT THE 'CLR OF CONFLICT' MESSAGE WAS SOUNDED BY THE TCASII. I ESTIMATE THE ELAPSED TIME FROM THE CTR CTLR'S FIRST ALERT/COMMAND TO THE 'CLR OF CONFLICT' MESSAGE WAS ABOUT 15 SECONDS. EVERYTHING HAPPENED VERY FAST. WE CLBED AROUND 700 FT ABOVE OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 41000 FT. JUST AFTER THE TCASII SOUNDED 'CLR OF CONFLICT' WE HEARD A LEARJET RPT AN ENG FLAMEOUT AND STATING THEY WERE DSNDING TO 15000 FT TO ATTEMPT A RESTART. THE COPLT AND I BOTH THOUGHT WE MUST HAVE JUST MISSED HITTING HIM. UPON LNDG I CONTACTED ZLC AND SPOKE WITH MR XYZ. HE STATED THAT THE LEARJET HAD BEEN EBOUND AT FL430 AND EXPERIENCED AN ENG FLAMEOUT WHICH RESULTED IN HIM DRIFTING DOWN THROUGH OUR ALT. I BELIEVE HE STATED THAT THE CTLR'S FIRST INDICATION OF A PENDING CONFLICT WAS WHEN HE REALIZED THE LEARJET WAS NOT AT HIS ASSIGNED ALT AND CLOSING ON US. I TOLD HIM WHAT OUR TCASII INDICATIONS WERE. HE STATED THAT THEIR TAPES INDICATED OUR CLOSEST POINT OF APCH WAS 3 1/2 MI AND 400 FT.

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.