Narrative:

At a cruise altitude; FL340; approximately 40 mi northeast of sjn approximately on the 060 radial of sjn; both captain and first officer noticed a TA approaching the aircraft. It was the captain's leg. The TA indicated 400 ft below at the approximately 11:30 O'clock position on the TCAS and climbing. ATC instructed an air carrier Y aircraft to turn right 20 degrees and immediately followed with an instruction for our aircraft to turn 20 degrees to the right. While ATC was issuing instructions; our TA turned simultaneously into an RA with a command to climb indicating 1500 FPM on the vsi. In complying with both; which for all intents and purposes happened at the same time; the captain initiated a climbing right turn with not greater than climb power. In the process; of the immediate action for collision avoidance; the aircraft encountered the first stage of buffet for no more than 2 seconds. The first officer told ATC we were responding to an RA. We leveled off at FL344 when clear of conflict in normal smooth flight. The first officer then reported the altitude deviation for the RA and requested further vectors on course. After the event; ZAB cleared us back to direct sjn and we continued the flight to our destination. The captain made a PA to the passenger regarding the event and continued uneventfully. As passenger were leaving the plane they thanked us for our alertness and some passenger remarked that they had seen the conflict aircraft very close to the left side passing beneath our aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW WITH ZAB EXPERIENCED TCAS RA AT FL340 AS ATC WAS ISSUING EVASIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE TWO ACFT.

Narrative: AT A CRUISE ALT; FL340; APPROX 40 MI NE OF SJN APPROX ON THE 060 RADIAL OF SJN; BOTH CAPT AND FO NOTICED A TA APCHING THE ACFT. IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG. THE TA INDICATED 400 FT BELOW AT THE APPROX 11:30 O'CLOCK POS ON THE TCAS AND CLBING. ATC INSTRUCTED AN ACR Y ACFT TO TURN R 20 DEGS AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED WITH AN INSTRUCTION FOR OUR ACFT TO TURN 20 DEGS TO THE R. WHILE ATC WAS ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS; OUR TA TURNED SIMULTANEOUSLY INTO AN RA WITH A COMMAND TO CLB INDICATING 1500 FPM ON THE VSI. IN COMPLYING WITH BOTH; WHICH FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES HAPPENED AT THE SAME TIME; THE CAPT INITIATED A CLBING R TURN WITH NOT GREATER THAN CLB PWR. IN THE PROCESS; OF THE IMMEDIATE ACTION FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE; THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED THE FIRST STAGE OF BUFFET FOR NO MORE THAN 2 SECONDS. THE FO TOLD ATC WE WERE RESPONDING TO AN RA. WE LEVELED OFF AT FL344 WHEN CLR OF CONFLICT IN NORMAL SMOOTH FLT. THE FO THEN RPTED THE ALTDEV FOR THE RA AND REQUESTED FURTHER VECTORS ON COURSE. AFTER THE EVENT; ZAB CLRED US BACK TO DIRECT SJN AND WE CONTINUED THE FLT TO OUR DEST. THE CAPT MADE A PA TO THE PAX REGARDING THE EVENT AND CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. AS PAX WERE LEAVING THE PLANE THEY THANKED US FOR OUR ALERTNESS AND SOME PAX REMARKED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THE CONFLICT ACFT VERY CLOSE TO THE L SIDE PASSING BENEATH OUR ACFT.

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.