A B767-200 crew, in cruise at FL390, were issued a vector by ARTCC, followed by a TCASII RA.

Attributes
ACN	542886
Time
Date	200203
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lbl.airport
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl single value : 39000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 72 flight time total : 11043 flight time type : 1186
ASRS Report	542886
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overrode automation flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 21000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

While in cruise flight at FL390, was given a turn 40 degrees to the left (no reason given). About that same time, we received a traffic TA on the TCASII. ATC then came back and told us to make it a hard left turn. Since the TCASII had alerted us to the traffic conflict, the PF (first officer) disconnected the autoplt and rolled into a 30 degree left bank to avoid the target. We then got an RA with no guidance given on the vertical speed indicator (it indicated all red up and down). We scaled down to the 6 mi scale at which time the traffic had entered from the 2 O'clock position and exited at the 4 O'clock position staying approximately 3-4 mi horizontal separation. Chain of events were: 1) ATC was distraction when an air carrier Y flight reported on frequency. They were given a wrong frequency and ATC was trying to determine where they were. This delayed them in understanding the approaching traffic conflict and turning the 2 conflicting airplanes. 2) ATC never used the term 'traffic' to either of the 2 conflicting airplanes. They were too nonchalant. 3) ATC approving wrong altitude for direction of flight to the other aircraft. My pilots union has filed an foia request to get all of the information to include communications recordings from ZKC so we can review them. It was determined an ATC operational error by ZKC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-200 CREW, IN CRUISE AT FL390, WERE ISSUED A VECTOR BY ARTCC, FOLLOWED BY A TCASII RA.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT AT FL390, WAS GIVEN A TURN 40 DEGS TO THE L (NO REASON GIVEN). ABOUT THAT SAME TIME, WE RECEIVED A TFC TA ON THE TCASII. ATC THEN CAME BACK AND TOLD US TO MAKE IT A HARD L TURN. SINCE THE TCASII HAD ALERTED US TO THE TFC CONFLICT, THE PF (FO) DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND ROLLED INTO A 30 DEG L BANK TO AVOID THE TARGET. WE THEN GOT AN RA WITH NO GUIDANCE GIVEN ON THE VERT SPD INDICATOR (IT INDICATED ALL RED UP AND DOWN). WE SCALED DOWN TO THE 6 MI SCALE AT WHICH TIME THE TFC HAD ENTERED FROM THE 2 O'CLOCK POS AND EXITED AT THE 4 O'CLOCK POS STAYING APPROX 3-4 MI HORIZ SEPARATION. CHAIN OF EVENTS WERE: 1) ATC WAS DISTR WHEN AN ACR Y FLT RPTED ON FREQ. THEY WERE GIVEN A WRONG FREQ AND ATC WAS TRYING TO DETERMINE WHERE THEY WERE. THIS DELAYED THEM IN UNDERSTANDING THE APCHING TFC CONFLICT AND TURNING THE 2 CONFLICTING AIRPLANES. 2) ATC NEVER USED THE TERM 'TFC' TO EITHER OF THE 2 CONFLICTING AIRPLANES. THEY WERE TOO NONCHALANT. 3) ATC APPROVING WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT TO THE OTHER ACFT. MY PLTS UNION HAS FILED AN FOIA REQUEST TO GET ALL OF THE INFO TO INCLUDE COMS RECORDINGS FROM ZKC SO WE CAN REVIEW THEM. IT WAS DETERMINED AN ATC OPERROR BY ZKC.

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.