B737-200 crew and an unknown aircraft had a TCASII RA in ZDC class a airspace.

Attributes
ACN	595464
Time
Date	200310
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca.airport
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26300 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
ASRS Report	595464
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to assigned altitude other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While climbing out with ZDC, we received a TCASII alert that instructed us to climb into traffic and deviate from ATC clearance. We were climbing at 500-700 FPM and we were at FL257 climbing to FL260 when we got a traffic caution light and aural warning. This was quickly followed by an alert with 'climb, continue climb' aural warning. The first officer was flying. He disconnected the autoplt and pulled the nose up to follow the vvi which was indicating a small green arc at about 1000 FPM climb. I made a call go ZDC to advise that we were climbing through our assigned altitude for a TCASII alert. At about this same time, I visually acquired the traffic at my left 9:30N O'clock position, slightly high and about 4 mi away on a course to pass behind us by about 2 NM. I told the first officer that we should descend, since the traffic was not a factor and was above us. While I was talking, the TCASII changed to 'descend' aural alert. We descended back to FL260 and ZDC informed us that the conflicting traffic was level at FL270. We wrote up the TCASII upon arrival so maintenance could check out its operation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 CREW AND AN UNKNOWN ACFT HAD A TCASII RA IN ZDC CLASS A AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING OUT WITH ZDC, WE RECEIVED A TCASII ALERT THAT INSTRUCTED US TO CLB INTO TFC AND DEVIATE FROM ATC CLRNC. WE WERE CLBING AT 500-700 FPM AND WE WERE AT FL257 CLBING TO FL260 WHEN WE GOT A TFC CAUTION LIGHT AND AURAL WARNING. THIS WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY AN ALERT WITH 'CLB, CONTINUE CLB' AURAL WARNING. THE FO WAS FLYING. HE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND PULLED THE NOSE UP TO FOLLOW THE VVI WHICH WAS INDICATING A SMALL GREEN ARC AT ABOUT 1000 FPM CLB. I MADE A CALL GO ZDC TO ADVISE THAT WE WERE CLBING THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT FOR A TCASII ALERT. AT ABOUT THIS SAME TIME, I VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE TFC AT MY L 9:30N O'CLOCK POS, SLIGHTLY HIGH AND ABOUT 4 MI AWAY ON A COURSE TO PASS BEHIND US BY ABOUT 2 NM. I TOLD THE FO THAT WE SHOULD DSND, SINCE THE TFC WAS NOT A FACTOR AND WAS ABOVE US. WHILE I WAS TALKING, THE TCASII CHANGED TO 'DSND' AURAL ALERT. WE DSNDED BACK TO FL260 AND ZDC INFORMED US THAT THE CONFLICTING TFC WAS LEVEL AT FL270. WE WROTE UP THE TCASII UPON ARR SO MAINT COULD CHK OUT ITS OP.

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.