Narrative:

Climb out from bwi being vectored and cleared to FL230 heading 280 degrees, cleared (left turn direct gve, approximately 220 degree heading). WX radar showed WX to our left which would prevent this before we could advise ATC unable, TCASII issued a TA for an aircraft at 10 O'clock position, -400 ft. We asked center if he showed that traffic and ATC told us to descend to 16000 ft. At this time we were passing through approximately 18000 ft climbing rapidly. We disconnected the autoplt and pitched down. TCASII at this time issued RA (monitor vertical speed/red from '0' vertical speed to full scale deflection on descent side/green from 100 FPM climb to 500 FPM climb). We followed RA. A B727 came out of the clouds on our left and passed in front and below us approximately 700 ft below, 1 mi and in front. We advised center of RA and were reclred to FL230. Controller advised us it was his mistake. Note: I cannot recall the exact wording of our descent clearance to 16000 ft but it was issued with an emphasis on urgency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR HAD ISSUED A HDG CLRNC, BUT FLC COULD NOT COMPLY DUE TO WX. ABOUT THE SAME TIME FLC RECEIVED TCASII TA AND ASKED THE CTLR ABOUT THE TFC WHO THEN INSTRUCTED FLC TO DSND IMMEDIATELY. BEING THAT THEY WERE IN A RAPID CLB, IT TOOK A FEW MOMENTS TO TRANSITION BACK TO A DSCNT, AND BY THEN THEY HAD AN RA WHICH SHOWED FULL DEFLECTION DSCNT. CTLR ADMITTED THE ERROR.

Narrative: CLBOUT FROM BWI BEING VECTORED AND CLRED TO FL230 HDG 280 DEGS, CLRED (L TURN DIRECT GVE, APPROX 220 DEG HDG). WX RADAR SHOWED WX TO OUR L WHICH WOULD PREVENT THIS BEFORE WE COULD ADVISE ATC UNABLE, TCASII ISSUED A TA FOR AN ACFT AT 10 O'CLOCK POS, -400 FT. WE ASKED CTR IF HE SHOWED THAT TFC AND ATC TOLD US TO DSND TO 16000 FT. AT THIS TIME WE WERE PASSING THROUGH APPROX 18000 FT CLBING RAPIDLY. WE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND PITCHED DOWN. TCASII AT THIS TIME ISSUED RA (MONITOR VERT SPD/RED FROM '0' VERT SPD TO FULL SCALE DEFLECTION ON DSCNT SIDE/GREEN FROM 100 FPM CLB TO 500 FPM CLB). WE FOLLOWED RA. A B727 CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS ON OUR L AND PASSED IN FRONT AND BELOW US APPROX 700 FT BELOW, 1 MI AND IN FRONT. WE ADVISED CTR OF RA AND WERE RECLRED TO FL230. CTLR ADVISED US IT WAS HIS MISTAKE. NOTE: I CANNOT RECALL THE EXACT WORDING OF OUR DSCNT CLRNC TO 16000 FT BUT IT WAS ISSUED WITH AN EMPHASIS ON URGENCY.

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.