Narrative:

Straight and level at 14000 ft northbound, direct to guano intersection on mccoy 9, requested a 30 degree right turn to avoid doppler returns and dark clouds ahead. Controller requested stay on course while he coordination with center. 10 mi from WX, controller replied, 'unable due to traffic.' also, he noted previous aircraft had reported only light chop going through. We elected to stay on course, asked for 10 degrees right which was approved. Short time later, ATC directed right turn to 090 degrees from 360 degree heading for traffic. I began right turn to 090 degree heading on autoplt. Observed aircraft in level turn. At this point, there was ATC commentary about a NORDO aircraft and I heard mention of '230' and thought it heading assignment for another aircraft. I heard no call sign associated with the '230' clearance.' I saw that the first officer had set '230' in the altitude window. I requested he confirm with ATC. Controller replied, 'when are you going to start your climb?' I immediately manually advanced the throttles, disconnected autoplt and pitched aircraft up. TCASII RA to descend sounded, but aircraft was already well into an aggressive climb, so I stayed with the climb. TCASII quickly changed to 'climb now' RA. We quickly gained altitude separation on a new heading. First officer reported passing 15500 ft and we saw 1200 ft separation on TCASII display above traffic. ATC then cleared us to 300 degree heading, ZJX frequency, on course. Our estimate for elapsed time from refused WX deviation to TCASII RA was around 90 seconds. Supplemental information from acn 609218: ATC directed turn to 090 degrees from then 360 degree heading. Captain initiated turn. ATC said turn was for traffic co-altitude and NORDO and directed climb to FL230. I read back and set '230' in window. I was trying to find traffic on TCASII display and we were IMC. At some point the captain asked me to confirm FL230 altitude assigned and I called ATC. His verbiage made clear he wanted an immediate expedited climb to FL230. Nearly simultaneously, we received a TCASII RA and red traffic display and descend command. The captain continued climb. Had he not, I would have strenuously objected, as we were committed aggressively to climbing. All of this took place in IMC and in my opinion a very short time span.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW RESPOND TO TCASII RA WHEN DIVERTING AROUND WX ON DEP FROM MCO. DELAY IN CLB CLRNC DUE TO WX, CLRNC VERIFICATION AND NORDO ACFT CONTRIBUTE TO EVENT ACTIONS BY FLT CREW AND ATC.

Narrative: STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AT 14000 FT NBOUND, DIRECT TO GUANO INTXN ON MCCOY 9, REQUESTED A 30 DEG R TURN TO AVOID DOPPLER RETURNS AND DARK CLOUDS AHEAD. CTLR REQUESTED STAY ON COURSE WHILE HE COORD WITH CTR. 10 MI FROM WX, CTLR REPLIED, 'UNABLE DUE TO TFC.' ALSO, HE NOTED PREVIOUS ACFT HAD RPTED ONLY LIGHT CHOP GOING THROUGH. WE ELECTED TO STAY ON COURSE, ASKED FOR 10 DEGS R WHICH WAS APPROVED. SHORT TIME LATER, ATC DIRECTED R TURN TO 090 DEGS FROM 360 DEG HDG FOR TFC. I BEGAN R TURN TO 090 DEG HDG ON AUTOPLT. OBSERVED ACFT IN LEVEL TURN. AT THIS POINT, THERE WAS ATC COMMENTARY ABOUT A NORDO ACFT AND I HEARD MENTION OF '230' AND THOUGHT IT HDG ASSIGNMENT FOR ANOTHER ACFT. I HEARD NO CALL SIGN ASSOCIATED WITH THE '230' CLRNC.' I SAW THAT THE FO HAD SET '230' IN THE ALT WINDOW. I REQUESTED HE CONFIRM WITH ATC. CTLR REPLIED, 'WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO START YOUR CLB?' I IMMEDIATELY MANUALLY ADVANCED THE THROTTLES, DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND PITCHED ACFT UP. TCASII RA TO DSND SOUNDED, BUT ACFT WAS ALREADY WELL INTO AN AGGRESSIVE CLB, SO I STAYED WITH THE CLB. TCASII QUICKLY CHANGED TO 'CLB NOW' RA. WE QUICKLY GAINED ALT SEPARATION ON A NEW HDG. FO RPTED PASSING 15500 FT AND WE SAW 1200 FT SEPARATION ON TCASII DISPLAY ABOVE TFC. ATC THEN CLRED US TO 300 DEG HDG, ZJX FREQ, ON COURSE. OUR ESTIMATE FOR ELAPSED TIME FROM REFUSED WX DEV TO TCASII RA WAS AROUND 90 SECONDS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 609218: ATC DIRECTED TURN TO 090 DEGS FROM THEN 360 DEG HDG. CAPT INITIATED TURN. ATC SAID TURN WAS FOR TFC CO-ALT AND NORDO AND DIRECTED CLB TO FL230. I READ BACK AND SET '230' IN WINDOW. I WAS TRYING TO FIND TFC ON TCASII DISPLAY AND WE WERE IMC. AT SOME POINT THE CAPT ASKED ME TO CONFIRM FL230 ALT ASSIGNED AND I CALLED ATC. HIS VERBIAGE MADE CLR HE WANTED AN IMMEDIATE EXPEDITED CLB TO FL230. NEARLY SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE RECEIVED A TCASII RA AND RED TFC DISPLAY AND DSND COMMAND. THE CAPT CONTINUED CLB. HAD HE NOT, I WOULD HAVE STRENUOUSLY OBJECTED, AS WE WERE COMMITTED AGGRESSIVELY TO CLBING. ALL OF THIS TOOK PLACE IN IMC AND IN MY OPINION A VERY SHORT TIME SPAN.

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.