Narrative:

Air carrier X to den departed ict runway 1R climbing to 15000 ft and direct to the ict VOR to join J28. Air carrier Y inbound to ict through the hut arrival gate at 12000 ft, pilot's discretion to 4000 ft. Traffic was exchanged to both aircraft and air carrier Y reported having air carrier X on TCASII. Both aircraft were TCASII equipped. Air carrier Y was instructed to maintain 10500 ft, approximately 6-8 mi northwest of air carrier X, heading wbound. The mode C of air carrier Y was lost approximately 2-3 sweeps on radar, ARTS iia, CST in the data block, then regained. Air carrier X then was instructed to maintain present altitude. To the best of my knowledge air carrier X was 9300 ft climbing at the moment. Air carrier X appeared to have acknowledged my transmission at the time, but continued to climb. I then instructed air carrier X to climb to 11000 ft and to turn to a heading of 290 degrees in an attempt to provide lateral separation between the 2 aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 226728: departure control cleared air carrier X to proceed direct to ict VOR fpr J28 gck, climb to and maintain 15000 ft. Passing approximately 8000 ft we noticed a target on TCASII at our 12 O'clock, descending through approximately 14000 ft. Target aircraft, air carrier Y, was cleared to maintain 11000 ft. He was eastbound, we were wbound at each other's 12 O'clock. We received a yellow TCASII alert at this time. Within a couple of seconds we received a red alert and a TCASII RA to avoid the other aircraft. At the same time the ATC controller told us to 'maintain present altitude.' at this time we were at approximately 10500 ft climbing. I made an effort to level off but at the same time realized that the TCASII was telling me to climb! As I was struggling to resolve this conflict. The first officer sighted the other aircraft visually and yelled 'turn right' as he grabbed the yoke and put the aircraft into a sharp right turn. I then decided to follow the TCASII command and pulled back on the yoke to climb as rapidly as possible. At this time I sighted the other aircraft at my 11 O'clock low position passing to my 9 O'clock. He appeared to be about 500 ft vertically and 1000 ft or less horizontally from us. I questioned the controller about this in rather strong terms and he acknowledged that there had been a mix-up! In the future, I will question the controller sooner when I see a potential conflict on TCASII. I hesitate to do this because normally it is evident that aircraft in close proximity have the proper clrncs to provide separation. Also, we normally receive TA's in these type of sits. Supplemental information from acn 227382: the controller told us to level off at our present altitude. We were at approximately 10500 ft and climbing. I saw the medium large transport exit a cloud. I grabbed the yoke and made a hard right hand climbing turn. We followed the TCASII command. The captain questioned the controller and it appeared the controller had made a mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X CLB THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT, TCASII RA CLB. HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR. EVASIVE ACTION TURN CLB.

Narrative: ACR X TO DEN DEPARTED ICT RWY 1R CLBING TO 15000 FT AND DIRECT TO THE ICT VOR TO JOIN J28. ACR Y INBOUND TO ICT THROUGH THE HUT ARR GATE AT 12000 FT, PLT'S DISCRETION TO 4000 FT. TFC WAS EXCHANGED TO BOTH ACFT AND ACR Y RPTED HAVING ACR X ON TCASII. BOTH ACFT WERE TCASII EQUIPPED. ACR Y WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 10500 FT, APPROX 6-8 MI NW OF ACR X, HDG WBOUND. THE MODE C OF ACR Y WAS LOST APPROX 2-3 SWEEPS ON RADAR, ARTS IIA, CST IN THE DATA BLOCK, THEN REGAINED. ACR X THEN WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN PRESENT ALT. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE ACR X WAS 9300 FT CLBING AT THE MOMENT. ACR X APPEARED TO HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED MY XMISSION AT THE TIME, BUT CONTINUED TO CLB. I THEN INSTRUCTED ACR X TO CLB TO 11000 FT AND TO TURN TO A HDG OF 290 DEGS IN AN ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE LATERAL SEPARATION BTWN THE 2 ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 226728: DEP CTL CLRED ACR X TO PROCEED DIRECT TO ICT VOR FPR J28 GCK, CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 15000 FT. PASSING APPROX 8000 FT WE NOTICED A TARGET ON TCASII AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK, DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 14000 FT. TARGET ACFT, ACR Y, WAS CLRED TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT. HE WAS EBOUND, WE WERE WBOUND AT EACH OTHER'S 12 O'CLOCK. WE RECEIVED A YELLOW TCASII ALERT AT THIS TIME. WITHIN A COUPLE OF SECONDS WE RECEIVED A RED ALERT AND A TCASII RA TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT. AT THE SAME TIME THE ATC CTLR TOLD US TO 'MAINTAIN PRESENT ALT.' AT THIS TIME WE WERE AT APPROX 10500 FT CLBING. I MADE AN EFFORT TO LEVEL OFF BUT AT THE SAME TIME REALIZED THAT THE TCASII WAS TELLING ME TO CLB! AS I WAS STRUGGLING TO RESOLVE THIS CONFLICT. THE FO SIGHTED THE OTHER ACFT VISUALLY AND YELLED 'TURN R' AS HE GRABBED THE YOKE AND PUT THE ACFT INTO A SHARP R TURN. I THEN DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE TCASII COMMAND AND PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE TO CLB AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. AT THIS TIME I SIGHTED THE OTHER ACFT AT MY 11 O'CLOCK LOW POS PASSING TO MY 9 O'CLOCK. HE APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 500 FT VERTICALLY AND 1000 FT OR LESS HORIZLY FROM US. I QUESTIONED THE CTLR ABOUT THIS IN RATHER STRONG TERMS AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A MIX-UP! IN THE FUTURE, I WILL QUESTION THE CTLR SOONER WHEN I SEE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT ON TCASII. I HESITATE TO DO THIS BECAUSE NORMALLY IT IS EVIDENT THAT ACFT IN CLOSE PROX HAVE THE PROPER CLRNCS TO PROVIDE SEPARATION. ALSO, WE NORMALLY RECEIVE TA'S IN THESE TYPE OF SITS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 227382: THE CTLR TOLD US TO LEVEL OFF AT OUR PRESENT ALT. WE WERE AT APPROX 10500 FT AND CLBING. I SAW THE MLG EXIT A CLOUD. I GRABBED THE YOKE AND MADE A HARD R HAND CLBING TURN. WE FOLLOWED THE TCASII COMMAND. THE CAPT QUESTIONED THE CTLR AND IT APPEARED THE CTLR HAD MADE A MISTAKE.

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.