Departing B722 crew responded to a preventive RA from TCASII.

Attributes
ACN	500010
Time
Date	200102
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : ukw.ukw6
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	500010
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	499727
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 700 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were on departure from dfw en route to bur. We were at 10000 ft MSL, level flight, on a 260 degree heading, on vectors. We were working with regional departure control on 119.4. ATC pointed out traffic at our 2 O'clock position and 11000 ft. I (the first officer) responded by saying 'traffic in sight.' after a few seconds, the controller asked if we could maintain 'visual' on that aircraft and I responded 'yes.' then immediately the controller directed us to 'turn to a heading of 280 degrees, maintain visual separation with that traffic, and climb at your discretion to 17000 ft.' I read back the instructions exactly as they were given and then looked and watched the target to gauge our separation. I didn't feel it was the best of conditions to judge separation or closure, so I referred to the TCASII to see if I could get some range and altitude information. It was at that time I saw traffic at +800 ft and I told the captain 'maybe we should just stay at 10000 ft for now.' I noticed he had started a gradual climb though, so I began reading out our traffic's altitude in ft above ours. The captain had them leveled off and even tried to go back down as fast as the autoplt could transition. TCASII audio now had gone through its 'traffic' phase and now was saying 'monitor vertical speed.' at that time we also heard the other aircraft tell ATC they were on an RA climb. I do not recall what our horizontal separation was. The other aft was an MD80, apparently flying in on the bowie STAR toward dfw. At the time, we were the only 2 aircraft in the entire northwest quadrant of the dfw area. While I view it as our mistake to accept a visual separation clearance under this situation and our mistake for departing 10000 ft MSL level flight, I cannot imagine why we were given a vector which would bring our flight paths even closer. This served to reduce visual clues while introducing crossing flight paths and altitudes. We took the bait and this should serve as a lesson to be not so quick to take a clearance such as this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEPARTING B722 CREW RESPONDED TO A PREVENTIVE RA FROM TCASII.

Narrative: WE WERE ON DEP FROM DFW ENRTE TO BUR. WE WERE AT 10000 FT MSL, LEVEL FLT, ON A 260 DEG HDG, ON VECTORS. WE WERE WORKING WITH REGIONAL DEP CTL ON 119.4. ATC POINTED OUT TFC AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS AND 11000 FT. I (THE FO) RESPONDED BY SAYING 'TFC IN SIGHT.' AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE COULD MAINTAIN 'VISUAL' ON THAT ACFT AND I RESPONDED 'YES.' THEN IMMEDIATELY THE CTLR DIRECTED US TO 'TURN TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS, MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THAT TFC, AND CLB AT YOUR DISCRETION TO 17000 FT.' I READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY AS THEY WERE GIVEN AND THEN LOOKED AND WATCHED THE TARGET TO GAUGE OUR SEPARATION. I DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS THE BEST OF CONDITIONS TO JUDGE SEPARATION OR CLOSURE, SO I REFERRED TO THE TCASII TO SEE IF I COULD GET SOME RANGE AND ALT INFO. IT WAS AT THAT TIME I SAW TFC AT +800 FT AND I TOLD THE CAPT 'MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST STAY AT 10000 FT FOR NOW.' I NOTICED HE HAD STARTED A GRADUAL CLB THOUGH, SO I BEGAN READING OUT OUR TFC'S ALT IN FT ABOVE OURS. THE CAPT HAD THEM LEVELED OFF AND EVEN TRIED TO GO BACK DOWN AS FAST AS THE AUTOPLT COULD TRANSITION. TCASII AUDIO NOW HAD GONE THROUGH ITS 'TFC' PHASE AND NOW WAS SAYING 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' AT THAT TIME WE ALSO HEARD THE OTHER ACFT TELL ATC THEY WERE ON AN RA CLB. I DO NOT RECALL WHAT OUR HORIZ SEPARATION WAS. THE OTHER AFT WAS AN MD80, APPARENTLY FLYING IN ON THE BOWIE STAR TOWARD DFW. AT THE TIME, WE WERE THE ONLY 2 ACFT IN THE ENTIRE NW QUADRANT OF THE DFW AREA. WHILE I VIEW IT AS OUR MISTAKE TO ACCEPT A VISUAL SEPARATION CLRNC UNDER THIS SIT AND OUR MISTAKE FOR DEPARTING 10000 FT MSL LEVEL FLT, I CANNOT IMAGINE WHY WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR WHICH WOULD BRING OUR FLT PATHS EVEN CLOSER. THIS SERVED TO REDUCE VISUAL CLUES WHILE INTRODUCING XING FLT PATHS AND ALTS. WE TOOK THE BAIT AND THIS SHOULD SERVE AS A LESSON TO BE NOT SO QUICK TO TAKE A CLRNC SUCH AS THIS.

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.