Narrative:

Passing approximately 16500 ft MSL, climbing at approximately 2500 FPM, ATC notified us of VFR traffic at 10 O'clock position, 6 mi, level 17500 ft. Aircraft heading, type, and speed not stated by ATC. Target was not on TCASII screen at this time. Began a visual search, but no contact made. At approximately 16800 ft MSL, target appeared on outer edge of TCASII display at 10 O'clock position. Target was 'jumping' to various position on the TCASII, and then instantly to the 9 O'clock position on the inner circle of the display. At approximately 17300 ft MSL, I decided to stop climb, and began a descent. As I pushed aircraft over, a TCASII warning 'increase climb' occurred. I complied with the RA, reversing aircraft direction again to begin climb. As I did this, a second TCASII RA occurred 'climb, climb now.' I complied with this RA command. The suspect aircraft passed underneath us. Several mins later, I informed ATC of the RA and asked if he knew what the actual separation was. His response was 'not much from what I can see.' he then informed us it was a military aircraft (implying a high rate of speed). A logbook write-up was made upon landing in dtw for the jumping characteristic of the target. As far as a way to prevent this occurrence in the future, the only person that had information on both aircraft was the controller, and yet he vectored me across the flight path of the military aircraft. ATC assigned my heading, knew the speed and direction of both aircraft, knew that I was climbing and yet did not offer a heading for separation 'because I was on an IFR flight plan, and the other aircraft was on a VFR flight plan.' this is the problem. ATC should still be responsible for separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW AND HIGH PERFORMANCE MIL ACFT HAD AN NMAC IN ZJX CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: PASSING APPROX 16500 FT MSL, CLBING AT APPROX 2500 FPM, ATC NOTIFIED US OF VFR TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK POS, 6 MI, LEVEL 17500 FT. ACFT HDG, TYPE, AND SPD NOT STATED BY ATC. TARGET WAS NOT ON TCASII SCREEN AT THIS TIME. BEGAN A VISUAL SEARCH, BUT NO CONTACT MADE. AT APPROX 16800 FT MSL, TARGET APPEARED ON OUTER EDGE OF TCASII DISPLAY AT 10 O'CLOCK POS. TARGET WAS 'JUMPING' TO VARIOUS POS ON THE TCASII, AND THEN INSTANTLY TO THE 9 O'CLOCK POS ON THE INNER CIRCLE OF THE DISPLAY. AT APPROX 17300 FT MSL, I DECIDED TO STOP CLB, AND BEGAN A DSCNT. AS I PUSHED ACFT OVER, A TCASII WARNING 'INCREASE CLB' OCCURRED. I COMPLIED WITH THE RA, REVERSING ACFT DIRECTION AGAIN TO BEGIN CLB. AS I DID THIS, A SECOND TCASII RA OCCURRED 'CLB, CLB NOW.' I COMPLIED WITH THIS RA COMMAND. THE SUSPECT ACFT PASSED UNDERNEATH US. SEVERAL MINS LATER, I INFORMED ATC OF THE RA AND ASKED IF HE KNEW WHAT THE ACTUAL SEPARATION WAS. HIS RESPONSE WAS 'NOT MUCH FROM WHAT I CAN SEE.' HE THEN INFORMED US IT WAS A MIL ACFT (IMPLYING A HIGH RATE OF SPD). A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP WAS MADE UPON LNDG IN DTW FOR THE JUMPING CHARACTERISTIC OF THE TARGET. AS FAR AS A WAY TO PREVENT THIS OCCURRENCE IN THE FUTURE, THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAD INFO ON BOTH ACFT WAS THE CTLR, AND YET HE VECTORED ME ACROSS THE FLT PATH OF THE MIL ACFT. ATC ASSIGNED MY HDG, KNEW THE SPD AND DIRECTION OF BOTH ACFT, KNEW THAT I WAS CLBING AND YET DID NOT OFFER A HDG FOR SEPARATION 'BECAUSE I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, AND THE OTHER ACFT WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN.' THIS IS THE PROB. ATC SHOULD STILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 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.