Narrative:

I was working the radar position at madison high altitude. The underlying low altitude sector (abb lo) sits right next to the mad hi sector. The sector to the west of abb lo is evv lo. The sector to the west of mad hi is pxv hi. I received an automated radar handoff on aircraft #1 climbing to FL230. I received a pointout on aircraft #2 descending to FL240 inbound to cvg. The SOP for cvg inbound traffic is for pxv hi to descend aircraft to FL240, handoff and switch them to evv lo who ensures they enter abb lo at FL210. When I received the pointout of aircraft #2, the altitude information indicated that aircraft #2 would be descending to FL210 as per SOP. The abb lo controller instructed me to climb aircraft #1 and he would force aircraft #2 under. I climbed aircraft #1 to FL310 instructing him to expedite climb through FL260 (observing aircraft #2 at FL251). About 15-20 seconds later aircraft #1 mode C indicated FL233 and aircraft #2 mode C indicated FL250. I told aircraft #1 to stop climb so I could find out why nobody else was doing what they were supposed to do. Aircraft #1's mode C indicated FL237 and he advised that he was going through FL240 and would descend back down. Supplemental information from acn 580483: 100 NM north of bwg VOR ZID told us to climb to FL310 and to expedite through FL260. As we approached FL240 indy told us to level at our present altitude. We were climbing approximately 3000 FPM so I advised them that we would stop our climb and descend back to FL240. We were able to stop at FL245 and about that time we received a TCASII RA to descend. Traffic was at 2 O'clock position and descending through FL250 as we were descending to FL240. I acquired visual contact and advised ATC that we had the traffic in sight and were level at FL240. There was no indication on the radio that the other aircraft was descending without clearance so I assume the controller misjudged the closure rate causing the loss of separation. The controller then advised us to continue our climb and he handed us off with no mention of the conflict. The TCASII equipment had good crew communication between the first officer and I with me outside looking for the traffic and the first officer on the instruments prevented us having to take more violent evasive action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 ON EXPEDITED CLB TO FL310 WITH A SECOND MD88 DSNDING ON CONVERGING COURSE TO FL210.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE RADAR POS AT MADISON HIGH ALT. THE UNDERLYING LOW ALT SECTOR (ABB LO) SITS RIGHT NEXT TO THE MAD HI SECTOR. THE SECTOR TO THE W OF ABB LO IS EVV LO. THE SECTOR TO THE W OF MAD HI IS PXV HI. I RECEIVED AN AUTOMATED RADAR HDOF ON ACFT #1 CLBING TO FL230. I RECEIVED A POINTOUT ON ACFT #2 DSNDING TO FL240 INBOUND TO CVG. THE SOP FOR CVG INBOUND TFC IS FOR PXV HI TO DSND ACFT TO FL240, HDOF AND SWITCH THEM TO EVV LO WHO ENSURES THEY ENTER ABB LO AT FL210. WHEN I RECEIVED THE POINTOUT OF ACFT #2, THE ALT INFO INDICATED THAT ACFT #2 WOULD BE DSNDING TO FL210 AS PER SOP. THE ABB LO CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO CLB ACFT #1 AND HE WOULD FORCE ACFT #2 UNDER. I CLBED ACFT #1 TO FL310 INSTRUCTING HIM TO EXPEDITE CLB THROUGH FL260 (OBSERVING ACFT #2 AT FL251). ABOUT 15-20 SECONDS LATER ACFT #1 MODE C INDICATED FL233 AND ACFT #2 MODE C INDICATED FL250. I TOLD ACFT #1 TO STOP CLB SO I COULD FIND OUT WHY NOBODY ELSE WAS DOING WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO. ACFT #1'S MODE C INDICATED FL237 AND HE ADVISED THAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH FL240 AND WOULD DSND BACK DOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 580483: 100 NM N OF BWG VOR ZID TOLD US TO CLB TO FL310 AND TO EXPEDITE THROUGH FL260. AS WE APCHED FL240 INDY TOLD US TO LEVEL AT OUR PRESENT ALT. WE WERE CLBING APPROX 3000 FPM SO I ADVISED THEM THAT WE WOULD STOP OUR CLB AND DSND BACK TO FL240. WE WERE ABLE TO STOP AT FL245 AND ABOUT THAT TIME WE RECEIVED A TCASII RA TO DSND. TFC WAS AT 2 O'CLOCK POS AND DSNDING THROUGH FL250 AS WE WERE DSNDING TO FL240. I ACQUIRED VISUAL CONTACT AND ADVISED ATC THAT WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT AND WERE LEVEL AT FL240. THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON THE RADIO THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS DSNDING WITHOUT CLRNC SO I ASSUME THE CTLR MISJUDGED THE CLOSURE RATE CAUSING THE LOSS OF SEPARATION. THE CTLR THEN ADVISED US TO CONTINUE OUR CLB AND HE HANDED US OFF WITH NO MENTION OF THE CONFLICT. THE TCASII EQUIP HAD GOOD CREW COM BTWN THE FO AND I WITH ME OUTSIDE LOOKING FOR THE TFC AND THE FO ON THE INSTS PREVENTED US HAVING TO TAKE MORE VIOLENT EVASIVE ACTION.

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.