Narrative:

Departing from cos for publication we were given a clearance to 9000 ft and direct to publication. At about the midway point with the aircraft on autoplt at 9000 ft and 250 KTS, 2 targets appeared at 12 O'clock as blue triangles 500 ft above and 500 ft below us. As the aircraft became amber circles we started to get the 'traffic, traffic' alert. At about 2 mi the lower aircraft started a climb toward our altitude as witnessed on the TCASII from 500 ft to 400 ft, 300 ft and at 200 ft, with the TCASII now giving us an 'RA' and the audible 'climb, climb, climb.' with another aircraft at 1215 and 500 ft above us (showed almost directly above us) I decided to climb away from the climbing intruder and banked to the left 30 degrees to avoid the aircraft above us. As we passed 9500 ft the TCASII alert changed to 'climb, crossing, climb' as we went through the second aircraft's altitude and finally stopped at 10000 ft. We told cos departure of our new position and were changed over to publication approach. He indicated we almost climbed into the upper aircraft but could not confirm the location or altitude diversion of the lower aircraft. I spoke with the tower supervisor in pueblo and advised him of our situation and actions and he said he understood completely and was filing a report. On return to cos I spoke to the departure controller and he told me 'TCASII and air carrier were going to get somebody hurt someday.' he told me that the 2 VFR aircraft were at their assigned altitudes. VFR are not assigned altitudes and they were still in publication's airspace. At no time were we given TA's on the 2 aircraft nor did we visually see either aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 202245: throughout, cos departure control was involved with other traffic and had issued no advisories whatsoever to us. It was several seconds before I could get a break in the radio traffic to advise them of our situation and that we had left 9000 ft. They acknowledged and switched us to publication approach control who advised that they had been in contact with the 2 VFR targets and that we had nearly climbed into target #2. Publication could not verify whether target #1 had left its original 8500 ft altitude or its exact position. This was an extremely dangerous situation and caused all involved some anxiety. Better coordination between publication and cos and/or a routing for acrs away from the direct publication-cos line during VFR WX may help avoid a disaster.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT EXPERIENCES A TCASII RA AND IS INVOLVED WITH 2 OTHER ACFT AT SEPARATE VFR ALTS IN AN NMAC AND POTENTIAL CONFLICT. BOTH OTH ACFT WERE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC.

Narrative: DEPARTING FROM COS FOR PUB WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO 9000 FT AND DIRECT TO PUB. AT ABOUT THE MIDWAY POINT WITH THE ACFT ON AUTOPLT AT 9000 FT AND 250 KTS, 2 TARGETS APPEARED AT 12 O'CLOCK AS BLUE TRIANGLES 500 FT ABOVE AND 500 FT BELOW US. AS THE ACFT BECAME AMBER CIRCLES WE STARTED TO GET THE 'TFC, TFC' ALERT. AT ABOUT 2 MI THE LOWER ACFT STARTED A CLB TOWARD OUR ALT AS WITNESSED ON THE TCASII FROM 500 FT TO 400 FT, 300 FT AND AT 200 FT, WITH THE TCASII NOW GIVING US AN 'RA' AND THE AUDIBLE 'CLB, CLB, CLB.' WITH ANOTHER ACFT AT 1215 AND 500 FT ABOVE US (SHOWED ALMOST DIRECTLY ABOVE US) I DECIDED TO CLB AWAY FROM THE CLBING INTRUDER AND BANKED TO THE L 30 DEGS TO AVOID THE ACFT ABOVE US. AS WE PASSED 9500 FT THE TCASII ALERT CHANGED TO 'CLB, XING, CLB' AS WE WENT THROUGH THE SECOND ACFT'S ALT AND FINALLY STOPPED AT 10000 FT. WE TOLD COS DEP OF OUR NEW POS AND WERE CHANGED OVER TO PUB APCH. HE INDICATED WE ALMOST CLBED INTO THE UPPER ACFT BUT COULD NOT CONFIRM THE LOCATION OR ALT DIVERSION OF THE LOWER ACFT. I SPOKE WITH THE TWR SUPVR IN PUEBLO AND ADVISED HIM OF OUR SITUATION AND ACTIONS AND HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD COMPLETELY AND WAS FILING A RPT. ON RETURN TO COS I SPOKE TO THE DEP CTLR AND HE TOLD ME 'TCASII AND ACR WERE GOING TO GET SOMEBODY HURT SOMEDAY.' HE TOLD ME THAT THE 2 VFR ACFT WERE AT THEIR ASSIGNED ALTS. VFR ARE NOT ASSIGNED ALTS AND THEY WERE STILL IN PUB'S AIRSPACE. AT NO TIME WERE WE GIVEN TA'S ON THE 2 ACFT NOR DID WE VISUALLY SEE EITHER ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 202245: THROUGHOUT, COS DEP CTL WAS INVOLVED WITH OTHER TFC AND HAD ISSUED NO ADVISORIES WHATSOEVER TO US. IT WAS SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE I COULD GET A BREAK IN THE RADIO TFC TO ADVISE THEM OF OUR SITUATION AND THAT WE HAD LEFT 9000 FT. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED AND SWITCHED US TO PUB APCH CTL WHO ADVISED THAT THEY HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE 2 VFR TARGETS AND THAT WE HAD NEARLY CLBED INTO TARGET #2. PUB COULD NOT VERIFY WHETHER TARGET #1 HAD LEFT ITS ORIGINAL 8500 FT ALT OR ITS EXACT POS. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND CAUSED ALL INVOLVED SOME ANXIETY. BETTER COORD BTWN PUB AND COS AND/OR A RTING FOR ACRS AWAY FROM THE DIRECT PUB-COS LINE DURING VFR WX MAY HELP AVOID A DISASTER.

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.