An air carrier took evasive action descent in response to TCASII command in foreign airspace.

Attributes
ACN	317075
Time
Date	199509
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vir
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : sllp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	317075
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	317076
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 600 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

ATC cleared us from FL330 to FL270. At about sinor intersection and just about to level at FL270, we encountered a wbound B727 and received an RA to descend. We descended to about FL263 and advised ATC of deviation at which time they asked some questions of another flight in spanish, then cleared us to FL250. We saw the traffic go by approximately 200 yds to our right and 500-600 ft above us. Traffic appeared to be descending. We were talking to lpb control on 128.2. Coincidently, approximately 5 mins prior to that incident, when we were cleared to FL270 we noticed traffic 3000 ft below on TCASII in a nonradar environment. I felt it was poor procedure to clear us through his altitude. Supplemental information from acn 317076: we were given the RA to descend. We immediately did, and also called ATC. ATC seemed to not understand what we told them. They then cleared us to FL250 without further incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR TOOK EVASIVE ACTION DSCNT IN RESPONSE TO TCASII COMMAND IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ATC CLRED US FROM FL330 TO FL270. AT ABOUT SINOR INTXN AND JUST ABOUT TO LEVEL AT FL270, WE ENCOUNTERED A WBOUND B727 AND RECEIVED AN RA TO DSND. WE DSNDED TO ABOUT FL263 AND ADVISED ATC OF DEV AT WHICH TIME THEY ASKED SOME QUESTIONS OF ANOTHER FLT IN SPANISH, THEN CLRED US TO FL250. WE SAW THE TFC GO BY APPROX 200 YDS TO OUR R AND 500-600 FT ABOVE US. TFC APPEARED TO BE DSNDING. WE WERE TALKING TO LPB CTL ON 128.2. COINCIDENTLY, APPROX 5 MINS PRIOR TO THAT INCIDENT, WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO FL270 WE NOTICED TFC 3000 FT BELOW ON TCASII IN A NONRADAR ENVIRONMENT. I FELT IT WAS POOR PROC TO CLR US THROUGH HIS ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 317076: WE WERE GIVEN THE RA TO DSND. WE IMMEDIATELY DID, AND ALSO CALLED ATC. ATC SEEMED TO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE TOLD THEM. THEY THEN CLRED US TO FL250 WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.