MD80 flight crew receives a TCASII RA while en route to stl.

Attributes
ACN	593832
Time
Date	200309
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : tul.vortac
State Reference	OK
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
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	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Fighter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	593832
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	593839
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude cabin event other conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

TCASII alerted with TA followed by 'monitor vertical speed' then followed by 'descend now.' I was the first officer and PF, so I responded and followed the TCASII commands. ATC did not notify us of any aircraft it was only while we were conducting the evasive maneuver ATC notified us. We did not have a visual on the aircraft then soon found out it was formation of fighter aircraft. The seatbelt was on but the 3 flight attendants and 1 passenger who did not have seatbelt on had minor injuries. Flight continued to destination with no further problems. The captain did a great job informing the passenger immediately of the situation and the flight attendants conducted themselves professionally. ZKC told us that there was some confusion with the frequency handoff which resulted in our surprise encounter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW RECEIVES A TCASII RA WHILE ENRTE TO STL.

Narrative: TCASII ALERTED WITH TA FOLLOWED BY 'MONITOR VERT SPD' THEN FOLLOWED BY 'DSND NOW.' I WAS THE FO AND PF, SO I RESPONDED AND FOLLOWED THE TCASII COMMANDS. ATC DID NOT NOTIFY US OF ANY ACFT IT WAS ONLY WHILE WE WERE CONDUCTING THE EVASIVE MANEUVER ATC NOTIFIED US. WE DID NOT HAVE A VISUAL ON THE ACFT THEN SOON FOUND OUT IT WAS FORMATION OF FIGHTER ACFT. THE SEATBELT WAS ON BUT THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS AND 1 PAX WHO DID NOT HAVE SEATBELT ON HAD MINOR INJURIES. FLT CONTINUED TO DEST WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. THE CAPT DID A GREAT JOB INFORMING THE PAX IMMEDIATELY OF THE SIT AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS CONDUCTED THEMSELVES PROFESSIONALLY. ZKC TOLD US THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION WITH THE FREQ HDOF WHICH RESULTED IN OUR SURPRISE ENCOUNTER.

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.