MD80S flight crew initiate evasive maneuver due to a TCASII TA from a flight of PA28's.

Attributes
ACN	499773
Time
Date	200101
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 10500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	499773
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	500783
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Flight was fll-dfw. Departure runway 9L at XA20Z. At XA25Z, climbing through 8500 ft for 16000 ft, heading 280 degrees assigned, we got a TCASII 'traffic' alert. I looked at the TCASII display to see their position. We immediately got an RA with the 'climb, climb now' advisory. My first officer acquired the traffic visually, slightly right of our nose, slightly above at 10500 ft heading south. It was a flight of 5 cherokees -- 3 were putting out airshow style smoke. The climb commanded by TCASII put us directly over them by less than 500 ft. I have no doubt that without TCASII we would have flown right through their formation. I queried mia departure and their response was 'oh, we weren't talking to them.' the cherokees were squawking, so I find ATC's response puzzling.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80S FLC INITIATE EVASIVE MANEUVER DUE TO A TCASII TA FROM A FLT OF PA28'S.

Narrative: FLT WAS FLL-DFW. DEP RWY 9L AT XA20Z. AT XA25Z, CLBING THROUGH 8500 FT FOR 16000 FT, HDG 280 DEGS ASSIGNED, WE GOT A TCASII 'TFC' ALERT. I LOOKED AT THE TCASII DISPLAY TO SEE THEIR POS. WE IMMEDIATELY GOT AN RA WITH THE 'CLB, CLB NOW' ADVISORY. MY FO ACQUIRED THE TFC VISUALLY, SLIGHTLY R OF OUR NOSE, SLIGHTLY ABOVE AT 10500 FT HDG S. IT WAS A FLT OF 5 CHEROKEES -- 3 WERE PUTTING OUT AIRSHOW STYLE SMOKE. THE CLB COMMANDED BY TCASII PUT US DIRECTLY OVER THEM BY LESS THAN 500 FT. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WITHOUT TCASII WE WOULD HAVE FLOWN RIGHT THROUGH THEIR FORMATION. I QUERIED MIA DEP AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS 'OH, WE WEREN'T TALKING TO THEM.' THE CHEROKEES WERE SQUAWKING, SO I FIND ATC'S RESPONSE PUZZLING.

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.