Narrative:

First officer's leg. Holding at capti at FL220 on the cqy arrival. Outbound from capti with autoplt on and GPS navigation hold. Passing 180 degree heading the controller asked us our heading. As we rolled out outbound; we saw traffic on TCAS at 5 mi; 2 O'clock bearing and level at our altitude. As traffic closed; we got an RA command to climb; initially at 2000 FPM. First officer did an excellent job of smoothly and promptly responding. I immediately informed ATC that we were climbing in response to an RA. The controller responded by issuing us a turn to the north. I replied unable. Shortly; he again issued another turn. I informed him again that we were responding to an RA and were unable to accept a turn. Our maximum altitude was FL228. When clear; we returned to FL220 and continued in the hold. Traffic passed below and to our right. This could have been much more serious if another airplane had been above us in the stack. The controller should have known not to issue us a turn. Supplemental information from acn 657289: while at cruise altitude (FL220 at the time); we were told to expect holding. Approaching weirs intersection on the cqy arrival; ATC then began to give us vectors and told us there would be no holding; just vectors to get the separation needed for the arrival. ATC was also pulling many aircraft out of holding and assigning them vectors as well. While on a northwest vector around the north side of weirs intersection; I noticed a TCAS target co-altitude at our 10 O'clock position and 11 mi heading north to northeast in direction on a 'constant bearing; decreasing range' profile. I visually acquired the aircraft and inquired of ATC what the game plan was for the other aircraft at our altitude. ATC then told us to immediately descend to FL210. 5 seconds after initiating the descent; we received an RA to descend. Several seconds later; air carrier X transmitted that they were climbing in response to an RA. Both aircraft missed each other by severed hundred ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED TCAS RA WHILE BEING VECTORED BY ZFW AT FL200 FOR SEQUENCE TO DFW; A DOCUMENTED ATC OPERROR.

Narrative: FO'S LEG. HOLDING AT CAPTI AT FL220 ON THE CQY ARR. OUTBOUND FROM CAPTI WITH AUTOPLT ON AND GPS NAV HOLD. PASSING 180 DEG HDG THE CTLR ASKED US OUR HDG. AS WE ROLLED OUT OUTBOUND; WE SAW TFC ON TCAS AT 5 MI; 2 O'CLOCK BEARING AND LEVEL AT OUR ALT. AS TFC CLOSED; WE GOT AN RA COMMAND TO CLB; INITIALLY AT 2000 FPM. FO DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF SMOOTHLY AND PROMPTLY RESPONDING. I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED ATC THAT WE WERE CLBING IN RESPONSE TO AN RA. THE CTLR RESPONDED BY ISSUING US A TURN TO THE N. I REPLIED UNABLE. SHORTLY; HE AGAIN ISSUED ANOTHER TURN. I INFORMED HIM AGAIN THAT WE WERE RESPONDING TO AN RA AND WERE UNABLE TO ACCEPT A TURN. OUR MAX ALT WAS FL228. WHEN CLR; WE RETURNED TO FL220 AND CONTINUED IN THE HOLD. TFC PASSED BELOW AND TO OUR R. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS IF ANOTHER AIRPLANE HAD BEEN ABOVE US IN THE STACK. THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN NOT TO ISSUE US A TURN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 657289: WHILE AT CRUISE ALT (FL220 AT THE TIME); WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT HOLDING. APCHING WEIRS INTXN ON THE CQY ARR; ATC THEN BEGAN TO GIVE US VECTORS AND TOLD US THERE WOULD BE NO HOLDING; JUST VECTORS TO GET THE SEPARATION NEEDED FOR THE ARR. ATC WAS ALSO PULLING MANY ACFT OUT OF HOLDING AND ASSIGNING THEM VECTORS AS WELL. WHILE ON A NW VECTOR AROUND THE N SIDE OF WEIRS INTXN; I NOTICED A TCAS TARGET CO-ALT AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AND 11 MI HDG N TO NE IN DIRECTION ON A 'CONSTANT BEARING; DECREASING RANGE' PROFILE. I VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE ACFT AND INQUIRED OF ATC WHAT THE GAME PLAN WAS FOR THE OTHER ACFT AT OUR ALT. ATC THEN TOLD US TO IMMEDIATELY DSND TO FL210. 5 SECONDS AFTER INITIATING THE DSCNT; WE RECEIVED AN RA TO DSND. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER; ACR X XMITTED THAT THEY WERE CLBING IN RESPONSE TO AN RA. BOTH ACFT MISSED EACH OTHER BY SEVERED HUNDRED FT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.