Narrative:

Climbing sbound out of ord in VMC conditions on a heading of about 200 degrees; initially cleared up to 13000 ft and asked to maintain 300 KTS or better when able. Then we were cleared direct to rbs and to maintain FL230. I was hand flying the airplane when going through approximately 11500 ft; climbing at approximately 2000 FPM; we got the 'traffic traffic' alert from the TCAS; I checked the screen and saw a target at about 10:30 O'clock position; and about 4 mi; +09; converging; I reduced the range on the screen from 20 to 10 and the alert changed to red. From the traffic alert to the RA was probably about 3-4 seconds. The TCAS warning said 'adjust vertical speed;' and vsi was red 0-2000 up and green in the 0-300 down range; I pushed the nose over and banked 20 degrees right to help reduce the lift vector; disengaged the autothrottles and pulled the throttles to idle. I looked out but did not see the aircraft so I looked back at the TCAS display and saw the target still converging and counting down from +05; +04; +03; I was rolling the wings level and continued pushing the nose over to at least a 1000 FPM descent; getting a momentary overspd warning. I told the first officer to notify ATC that we were responding to an RA; the center controller replied that he was showing no targets in our area. Still descending; I looked up again through the front windshield and saw a cessna caravan passing directly over the cockpit at approximately 200 ft; possibly less; he appeared to be in straight and level flight although he may have been descending. He appeared to be heading about 310 degrees. We presently got the 'clear of conflict' audio and I reestablished our climb and returned to the heading to go direct rbs. I reengaged the autothrottles and engaged the autoplt and called the cabin to find out if the flight attendants were okay; the #1 flight attendant reported that she had just gotten up but felt something going on and retook her seat. The flight attendants in the back were seated the whole time. There were no injuries. I asked the #1 flight attendant if the passenger were asking what happened; she said they were looking at her with 'big eyes' questioning looks but nobody actually asked what happened. I made no PA's to the passenger about the incident. The evasive maneuvers probably did not exceed .5 negative G; it was relatively smooth. We got the RA at around 12000 ft; I am not sure how high we got before I arrested the climb but I think we got down to about 11500 ft before reestablishing the climb. While I was talking to the #1 flight attendant the ATC controller was telling the first officer that they now had the aircraft on radar and ord approach was now talking to him; he apologized for not seeing him or warning us of him and gave an explanation of why they didn't know he was there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAS NMAC WITH C208.

Narrative: CLBING SBOUND OUT OF ORD IN VMC CONDITIONS ON A HDG OF ABOUT 200 DEGS; INITIALLY CLRED UP TO 13000 FT AND ASKED TO MAINTAIN 300 KTS OR BETTER WHEN ABLE. THEN WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO RBS AND TO MAINTAIN FL230. I WAS HAND FLYING THE AIRPLANE WHEN GOING THROUGH APPROX 11500 FT; CLBING AT APPROX 2000 FPM; WE GOT THE 'TFC TFC' ALERT FROM THE TCAS; I CHKED THE SCREEN AND SAW A TARGET AT ABOUT 10:30 O'CLOCK POS; AND ABOUT 4 MI; +09; CONVERGING; I REDUCED THE RANGE ON THE SCREEN FROM 20 TO 10 AND THE ALERT CHANGED TO RED. FROM THE TFC ALERT TO THE RA WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 3-4 SECONDS. THE TCAS WARNING SAID 'ADJUST VERT SPD;' AND VSI WAS RED 0-2000 UP AND GREEN IN THE 0-300 DOWN RANGE; I PUSHED THE NOSE OVER AND BANKED 20 DEGS R TO HELP REDUCE THE LIFT VECTOR; DISENGAGED THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND PULLED THE THROTTLES TO IDLE. I LOOKED OUT BUT DID NOT SEE THE ACFT SO I LOOKED BACK AT THE TCAS DISPLAY AND SAW THE TARGET STILL CONVERGING AND COUNTING DOWN FROM +05; +04; +03; I WAS ROLLING THE WINGS LEVEL AND CONTINUED PUSHING THE NOSE OVER TO AT LEAST A 1000 FPM DSCNT; GETTING A MOMENTARY OVERSPD WARNING. I TOLD THE FO TO NOTIFY ATC THAT WE WERE RESPONDING TO AN RA; THE CTR CTLR REPLIED THAT HE WAS SHOWING NO TARGETS IN OUR AREA. STILL DSNDING; I LOOKED UP AGAIN THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND SAW A CESSNA CARAVAN PASSING DIRECTLY OVER THE COCKPIT AT APPROX 200 FT; POSSIBLY LESS; HE APPEARED TO BE IN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT ALTHOUGH HE MAY HAVE BEEN DSNDING. HE APPEARED TO BE HDG ABOUT 310 DEGS. WE PRESENTLY GOT THE 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AUDIO AND I REESTABLISHED OUR CLB AND RETURNED TO THE HDG TO GO DIRECT RBS. I REENGAGED THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND CALLED THE CABIN TO FIND OUT IF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE OKAY; THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT SHE HAD JUST GOTTEN UP BUT FELT SOMETHING GOING ON AND RETOOK HER SEAT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK WERE SEATED THE WHOLE TIME. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. I ASKED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT IF THE PAX WERE ASKING WHAT HAPPENED; SHE SAID THEY WERE LOOKING AT HER WITH 'BIG EYES' QUESTIONING LOOKS BUT NOBODY ACTUALLY ASKED WHAT HAPPENED. I MADE NO PA'S TO THE PAX ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THE EVASIVE MANEUVERS PROBABLY DID NOT EXCEED .5 NEGATIVE G; IT WAS RELATIVELY SMOOTH. WE GOT THE RA AT AROUND 12000 FT; I AM NOT SURE HOW HIGH WE GOT BEFORE I ARRESTED THE CLB BUT I THINK WE GOT DOWN TO ABOUT 11500 FT BEFORE REESTABLISHING THE CLB. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT THE ATC CTLR WAS TELLING THE FO THAT THEY NOW HAD THE ACFT ON RADAR AND ORD APCH WAS NOW TALKING TO HIM; HE APOLOGIZED FOR NOT SEEING HIM OR WARNING US OF HIM AND GAVE AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS THERE.

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.