Near midair collision between an MD88 descending and a pair of military F18's in level flight at 15500 ft MSL. The MD88 flight crew increased their rate of descent in response to TCASII RA and the F18's were observed in a right turn as if to assure separation.

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Attributes
ACN	520417
Time
Date	200107
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl single value : 15500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : sinca.sinca 6
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	other
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : military pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5400 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	520417
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3900
ASRS Report	519820
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	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 : 500 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

ZTL advised a single F/a-18 was at our 12 O'clock position, VFR at 15 mi at 15500 ft. We were on the arrival into atlanta to cross husky at 14000 ft. When we were descending through 15500 ft, I could see on the TCASII that the traffic was now 7 mi and co-altitude still off the nose, we got no further advisories from ATC and I'm not sure the controller was talking to the F/a-18. Then we got an RA to monitor vertical speed and I still had no visual. I finally saw the traffic off my right side. Both appeared to be in a left turn to avoid us. When we told ATC that that was a little close, I heard laughter. I'm not sure of the full call sign of the F/a-18's but xyz was the first part. I believe they are the reserve squadron out of ZZZ. I'm not sure that departing atlanta so near to an arrival corridor was a smart thing to do, especially at altitudes so near the crossing restr altitudes of the arrs. I had these passenger comment to me about the proximity of the aircraft and one passenger idented them as the correct aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN MD88 DSNDING AND A PAIR OF MIL F18'S IN LEVEL FLT AT 15500 FT MSL. THE MD88 FLC INCREASED THEIR RATE OF DSCNT IN RESPONSE TO TCASII RA AND THE F18'S WERE OBSERVED IN A R TURN AS IF TO ASSURE SEPARATION.

Narrative: ZTL ADVISED A SINGLE F/A-18 WAS AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS, VFR AT 15 MI AT 15500 FT. WE WERE ON THE ARR INTO ATLANTA TO CROSS HUSKY AT 14000 FT. WHEN WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 15500 FT, I COULD SEE ON THE TCASII THAT THE TFC WAS NOW 7 MI AND CO-ALT STILL OFF THE NOSE, WE GOT NO FURTHER ADVISORIES FROM ATC AND I'M NOT SURE THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO THE F/A-18. THEN WE GOT AN RA TO MONITOR VERT SPD AND I STILL HAD NO VISUAL. I FINALLY SAW THE TFC OFF MY R SIDE. BOTH APPEARED TO BE IN A L TURN TO AVOID US. WHEN WE TOLD ATC THAT THAT WAS A LITTLE CLOSE, I HEARD LAUGHTER. I'M NOT SURE OF THE FULL CALL SIGN OF THE F/A-18'S BUT XYZ WAS THE FIRST PART. I BELIEVE THEY ARE THE RESERVE SQUADRON OUT OF ZZZ. I'M NOT SURE THAT DEPARTING ATLANTA SO NEAR TO AN ARR CORRIDOR WAS A SMART THING TO DO, ESPECIALLY AT ALTS SO NEAR THE XING RESTR ALTS OF THE ARRS. I HAD THESE PAX COMMENT TO ME ABOUT THE PROX OF THE ACFT AND ONE PAX IDENTED THEM AS THE CORRECT ACFT.

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.