Narrative:

Departed sna for rno at XX15 local. I am an IOE captain, giving operating experience to a newly upgraded captain in the left seat. I had our airline's safety officer/captain in the jumpseat. Thunderstorms all over the west on this day, in particular preventing us from flying our filed route to rno. We ended up deviating to the west, and were at FL310 and had received a clearance direct squaw valley VOR, the cannon 2 arrival into rno. We were then handed off to 132.95, and listened to this other pilot talking about where he's going, what he's going to do, etc, completely tying up the frequency. Immediately upon the termination of his narrative ZOA came on and said 'air carrier X, are you on frequency?' we responded 'affirmative, at FL310.' ZOA then came back and said 'air carrier X, make an immediate 50 degree left turn. Air carrier Y, make an immediate left turn.' while he was saying this, we got the first hit on our TCASII, showing traffic, 12 O'clock, 400 ft below us climbing, about 4 mi out. The next TCASII hit showed him slightly right of 12 O'clock, 200 ft below us, inside the 2 mi ring. I acquired him visually and was able to see the flap hangers on the underside of the wing as he was in his escape maneuver. We cleared each other, continued on our way. First suggestion would be for shorter xmissions on everybody's part when there's WX about. We all have to deviate, the system is in a mess, keep it short and get on with it so the next guy can talk. Second, thank heaven for TCASII. It's a great system. I know it's got its problems, but by looking at the TCASII scope and then going outside, it gives me immediate, real time information on traffic, where to point my eyes. Then it provides the escape direction even if I can't acquire the traffic visually.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD83 AND ANOTHER ACR ACFT AT HIGH ALT CRUISE WERE GIVEN TURNS TO AVOID EACH OTHER BY ATC DUE TO A LOSS IN LEGAL SEPARATION CAUSED BY DIVERSION FROM THEIR CLRNC ROUTING DUE TO WX (TSTMS).

Narrative: DEPARTED SNA FOR RNO AT XX15 LCL. I AM AN IOE CAPT, GIVING OPERATING EXPERIENCE TO A NEWLY UPGRADED CAPT IN THE L SEAT. I HAD OUR AIRLINE'S SAFETY OFFICER/CAPT IN THE JUMPSEAT. TSTMS ALL OVER THE W ON THIS DAY, IN PARTICULAR PREVENTING US FROM FLYING OUR FILED RTE TO RNO. WE ENDED UP DEVIATING TO THE W, AND WERE AT FL310 AND HAD RECEIVED A CLRNC DIRECT SQUAW VALLEY VOR, THE CANNON 2 ARR INTO RNO. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO 132.95, AND LISTENED TO THIS OTHER PLT TALKING ABOUT WHERE HE'S GOING, WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO, ETC, COMPLETELY TYING UP THE FREQ. IMMEDIATELY UPON THE TERMINATION OF HIS NARRATIVE ZOA CAME ON AND SAID 'ACR X, ARE YOU ON FREQ?' WE RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE, AT FL310.' ZOA THEN CAME BACK AND SAID 'ACR X, MAKE AN IMMEDIATE 50 DEG L TURN. ACR Y, MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN.' WHILE HE WAS SAYING THIS, WE GOT THE FIRST HIT ON OUR TCASII, SHOWING TFC, 12 O'CLOCK, 400 FT BELOW US CLBING, ABOUT 4 MI OUT. THE NEXT TCASII HIT SHOWED HIM SLIGHTLY R OF 12 O'CLOCK, 200 FT BELOW US, INSIDE THE 2 MI RING. I ACQUIRED HIM VISUALLY AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THE FLAP HANGERS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING AS HE WAS IN HIS ESCAPE MANEUVER. WE CLRED EACH OTHER, CONTINUED ON OUR WAY. FIRST SUGGESTION WOULD BE FOR SHORTER XMISSIONS ON EVERYBODY'S PART WHEN THERE'S WX ABOUT. WE ALL HAVE TO DEVIATE, THE SYS IS IN A MESS, KEEP IT SHORT AND GET ON WITH IT SO THE NEXT GUY CAN TALK. SECOND, THANK HEAVEN FOR TCASII. IT'S A GREAT SYS. I KNOW IT'S GOT ITS PROBS, BUT BY LOOKING AT THE TCASII SCOPE AND THEN GOING OUTSIDE, IT GIVES ME IMMEDIATE, REAL TIME INFO ON TFC, WHERE TO POINT MY EYES. THEN IT PROVIDES THE ESCAPE DIRECTION EVEN IF I CAN'T ACQUIRE THE TFC VISUALLY.

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.