Narrative:

We (aircraft X) departed from phl en route to roa. On departure, we were advised that ZDC computer was down and were rted approach control to approach control from phl approach, to pxt approach, to ric approach, to roa approach at 6000 ft altitude. When we contacted pxt approach, we were advised that ric approach was accepting en route traffic but was not accepting landing traffic. As we passed pxt, ric started accepting landing traffic if they canceled IFR at hpn for a visual approach. I thought that all holding traffic had been cleared on to hpn. When crossing colin intersection on V16 at 6000 ft altitude, I saw an aircraft (aircraft Y) in a right turn 4 NM in front of us turning to a co-altitude, head-on course. At 2 NM separation, I started a right turn to avoid the aircraft. As I started the turn, pxt control gave us a descent to 5000 ft and the TCASII gave an RA warning to climb. I started the descent and passed approximately 500-700 ft below the other aircraft. Pxt control issued a right turn to a heading of 290 degrees during the descent. After leveling at 5000 ft, we saw another aircraft (aircraft Z) crossing right to left 2 NM in front of us, co-altitude. We turned slightly right and passed approximately 1 - 1 1/2 NM behind the aircraft. At 6 NM from colin intersection, pxt control gave us a clearance to hold as published at colin. I turned left to go back to colin intersection as the first officer looked up the holding pattern. There was no published pattern on our chart. We questioned pxt on this and they again told us to hold as published. On the third question on the holding instructions, they gave us directions to hold on the inbound, southwest at 5000 ft, 1 min legs. On the first outbound leg, pxt gave us a clearance to go direct gve, climb back to 6000 ft and handed us off to ric approach. Ric approach advised us that they had a computer failure and rted us through their airspace and on to roa approach. Our aircraft was equipped with a KNS660 flight management and TCASII system which were a great aid in sorting out this situation and maintaining separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC8 PIC ASSUMES PXT CTLR ADVISORY AS CLRNC TO NEXT HOLDING FIX, COMING INTO CONFLICT WITH SAME ALT TFC AT 6000 FT AND ALSO WITH TFC AT 5000 FT.

Narrative: WE (ACFT X) DEPARTED FROM PHL ENRTE TO ROA. ON DEP, WE WERE ADVISED THAT ZDC COMPUTER WAS DOWN AND WERE RTED APCH CTL TO APCH CTL FROM PHL APCH, TO PXT APCH, TO RIC APCH, TO ROA APCH AT 6000 FT ALT. WHEN WE CONTACTED PXT APCH, WE WERE ADVISED THAT RIC APCH WAS ACCEPTING ENRTE TFC BUT WAS NOT ACCEPTING LNDG TFC. AS WE PASSED PXT, RIC STARTED ACCEPTING LNDG TFC IF THEY CANCELED IFR AT HPN FOR A VISUAL APCH. I THOUGHT THAT ALL HOLDING TFC HAD BEEN CLRED ON TO HPN. WHEN XING COLIN INTXN ON V16 AT 6000 FT ALT, I SAW AN ACFT (ACFT Y) IN A R TURN 4 NM IN FRONT OF US TURNING TO A CO-ALT, HEAD-ON COURSE. AT 2 NM SEPARATION, I STARTED A R TURN TO AVOID THE ACFT. AS I STARTED THE TURN, PXT CTL GAVE US A DSCNT TO 5000 FT AND THE TCASII GAVE AN RA WARNING TO CLB. I STARTED THE DSCNT AND PASSED APPROX 500-700 FT BELOW THE OTHER ACFT. PXT CTL ISSUED A R TURN TO A HDG OF 290 DEGS DURING THE DSCNT. AFTER LEVELING AT 5000 FT, WE SAW ANOTHER ACFT (ACFT Z) XING R TO L 2 NM IN FRONT OF US, CO-ALT. WE TURNED SLIGHTLY R AND PASSED APPROX 1 - 1 1/2 NM BEHIND THE ACFT. AT 6 NM FROM COLIN INTXN, PXT CTL GAVE US A CLRNC TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED AT COLIN. I TURNED L TO GO BACK TO COLIN INTXN AS THE FO LOOKED UP THE HOLDING PATTERN. THERE WAS NO PUBLISHED PATTERN ON OUR CHART. WE QUESTIONED PXT ON THIS AND THEY AGAIN TOLD US TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED. ON THE THIRD QUESTION ON THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS, THEY GAVE US DIRECTIONS TO HOLD ON THE INBOUND, SW AT 5000 FT, 1 MIN LEGS. ON THE FIRST OUTBOUND LEG, PXT GAVE US A CLRNC TO GO DIRECT GVE, CLB BACK TO 6000 FT AND HANDED US OFF TO RIC APCH. RIC APCH ADVISED US THAT THEY HAD A COMPUTER FAILURE AND RTED US THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE AND ON TO ROA APCH. OUR ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A KNS660 FLT MGMNT AND TCASII SYS WHICH WERE A GREAT AID IN SORTING OUT THIS SIT AND MAINTAINING SEPARATION.

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.