B737-800 first officer climbed in response to TCASII RA and ARTCC controller clearance caused by opposite direction traffic at similar altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	520740
Time
Date	200108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : rod.vortac
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	520740
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our aircraft was inbtwn 2 lines of storms, deviating for WX. We were cleared to deviate by ATC. Controller asked for as much left as we could. We gave him 10 degrees which was as far as we could without going into the WX (level 4+ storms). Apparently there was an opposite direction airplane at the same altitude also deviating. Almost simultaneously the controller gave us a climb to FL360 as we received an RA to climb. I clicked off the autoplt and climbed. After evasive maneuver we were cleared back to FL350. Personal note: I think the controller did a great job by issuing an even altitude clearance. There is much talk about 'opening' these altitudes in the future. Perhaps these altitudes should be unusable for filing a flight plan, but available for controller use in these types of sits.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 FO CLBED IN RESPONSE TO TCASII RA AND ARTCC CTLR CLRNC CAUSED BY OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT SIMILAR ALT.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS INBTWN 2 LINES OF STORMS, DEVIATING FOR WX. WE WERE CLRED TO DEVIATE BY ATC. CTLR ASKED FOR AS MUCH L AS WE COULD. WE GAVE HIM 10 DEGS WHICH WAS AS FAR AS WE COULD WITHOUT GOING INTO THE WX (LEVEL 4+ STORMS). APPARENTLY THERE WAS AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION AIRPLANE AT THE SAME ALT ALSO DEVIATING. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY THE CTLR GAVE US A CLB TO FL360 AS WE RECEIVED AN RA TO CLB. I CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND CLBED. AFTER EVASIVE MANEUVER WE WERE CLRED BACK TO FL350. PERSONAL NOTE: I THINK THE CTLR DID A GREAT JOB BY ISSUING AN EVEN ALT CLRNC. THERE IS MUCH TALK ABOUT 'OPENING' THESE ALTS IN THE FUTURE. PERHAPS THESE ALTS SHOULD BE UNUSABLE FOR FILING A FLT PLAN, BUT AVAILABLE FOR CTLR USE IN THESE TYPES OF SITS.

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.