Narrative:

Passing through about 5300 ft MSL, mia departure said 'sorry about this air carrier X, but I'm gonna have to ask you to maintain 5000 ft.' my first officer replied with something like '...we'll do our best.' the aircraft was on autoplt climbing with a climb rate of between 2000-3000 FPM. Immediately selecting altitude hold still put us up to 6000 ft MSL. Before I could select 5000 ft and get the airplane descending, I saw a TCASII TA target at our 12 O'clock position with an accompanying 'traffic' call. The TA was quickly followed by an RA of 'climb.' I was complying with the RA when departure said to us '...a turn to 270 degrees would help you clear that traffic.' at that time, I heard the conflict aircraft say he still had us visually. The controller then cleared us to 16000 ft and a turn back on course. At no time did any one in our aircraft note any sense of urgency in the ATC controller's voice. Nor did I hear the word 'traffic' until after the RA occurred. Lessons learned: I suppose it mainly comes down to clrer communication. On our part, my first officer said he should have replied with something more definitive such as 'unable' or 'we're already through 5000 ft.' as for ATC, they could have painted a clrer picture for us by saying something like '...due to traffic, I need you to maintain 5000 ft.' finally, the conflict aircraft evidently had called 'visual' on us and was supposed to be maintaining separation from us. ATC could have communicated with them to increase their rate of descent or verify that they still had us visually.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 ON DEP CLB OFF MIA INITIATES TCASII MANEUVER DUE TO ANOTHER ACFT IN DSCNT, AS MIA DEP ATTEMPTS TO APPLY VISUAL SEPARATION.

Narrative: PASSING THROUGH ABOUT 5300 FT MSL, MIA DEP SAID 'SORRY ABOUT THIS ACR X, BUT I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK YOU TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT.' MY FO REPLIED WITH SOMETHING LIKE '...WE'LL DO OUR BEST.' THE ACFT WAS ON AUTOPLT CLBING WITH A CLB RATE OF BTWN 2000-3000 FPM. IMMEDIATELY SELECTING ALT HOLD STILL PUT US UP TO 6000 FT MSL. BEFORE I COULD SELECT 5000 FT AND GET THE AIRPLANE DSNDING, I SAW A TCASII TA TARGET AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS WITH AN ACCOMPANYING 'TFC' CALL. THE TA WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY AN RA OF 'CLB.' I WAS COMPLYING WITH THE RA WHEN DEP SAID TO US '...A TURN TO 270 DEGS WOULD HELP YOU CLR THAT TFC.' AT THAT TIME, I HEARD THE CONFLICT ACFT SAY HE STILL HAD US VISUALLY. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US TO 16000 FT AND A TURN BACK ON COURSE. AT NO TIME DID ANY ONE IN OUR ACFT NOTE ANY SENSE OF URGENCY IN THE ATC CTLR'S VOICE. NOR DID I HEAR THE WORD 'TFC' UNTIL AFTER THE RA OCCURRED. LESSONS LEARNED: I SUPPOSE IT MAINLY COMES DOWN TO CLRER COM. ON OUR PART, MY FO SAID HE SHOULD HAVE REPLIED WITH SOMETHING MORE DEFINITIVE SUCH AS 'UNABLE' OR 'WE'RE ALREADY THROUGH 5000 FT.' AS FOR ATC, THEY COULD HAVE PAINTED A CLRER PICTURE FOR US BY SAYING SOMETHING LIKE '...DUE TO TFC, I NEED YOU TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT.' FINALLY, THE CONFLICT ACFT EVIDENTLY HAD CALLED 'VISUAL' ON US AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINING SEPARATION FROM US. ATC COULD HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH THEM TO INCREASE THEIR RATE OF DSCNT OR VERIFY THAT THEY STILL HAD US VISUALLY.

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.