Crj air carrier at FL260 receives TCASII RA commanding descent because of traffic -- a flight of 2 military F16's rapidly descending from FL400 down to approximately FL230.

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Attributes
ACN	553627
Time
Date	200207
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sav.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl single value : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Fighting Falcon F16
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 16 controller time certified in position1 : 14.5
ASRS Report	553627
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : exit other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier X was en route to jax. Had previously deviated for WX in cws area and had been cleared direct ssi at FL260. A flight of 2 F16's exited the warning areas without clearance due to emergency of flight. Exited at FL400 and was talking to the sector overlying mine (hun -- FL330 and above). Was going to nearest airport and wanted tower frequency. The F16's flight began rapid descent. Since I was not talking to the F16's, I called traffic to the air carrier X. The first F16 he saw and reported clear. I called the position and approximately altitude of second F16 (advised air carrier that F16 was descending rapidly). Air carrier X advised he was responding to an RA and was descending. He descended as was the F16. F16 reported on ald frequency (descending to FL230) passing the air carrier Y jet. Air carrier X reported visual on the F16. Why, with the rapid descent of F16, did the air carrier X get an RA to descend also? I felt that it put them in closer proximity than no RA or an RA to climb.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ ACR AT FL260 RECEIVES TCASII RA COMMANDING DSCNT BECAUSE OF TFC -- A FLT OF 2 MIL F16'S RAPIDLY DSNDING FROM FL400 DOWN TO APPROX FL230.

Narrative: ACR X WAS ENRTE TO JAX. HAD PREVIOUSLY DEVIATED FOR WX IN CWS AREA AND HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT SSI AT FL260. A FLT OF 2 F16'S EXITED THE WARNING AREAS WITHOUT CLRNC DUE TO EMER OF FLT. EXITED AT FL400 AND WAS TALKING TO THE SECTOR OVERLYING MINE (HUN -- FL330 AND ABOVE). WAS GOING TO NEAREST ARPT AND WANTED TWR FREQ. THE F16'S FLT BEGAN RAPID DSCNT. SINCE I WAS NOT TALKING TO THE F16'S, I CALLED TFC TO THE ACR X. THE FIRST F16 HE SAW AND RPTED CLR. I CALLED THE POS AND APPROX ALT OF SECOND F16 (ADVISED ACR THAT F16 WAS DSNDING RAPIDLY). ACR X ADVISED HE WAS RESPONDING TO AN RA AND WAS DSNDING. HE DSNDED AS WAS THE F16. F16 RPTED ON ALD FREQ (DSNDING TO FL230) PASSING THE ACR Y JET. ACR X RPTED VISUAL ON THE F16. WHY, WITH THE RAPID DSCNT OF F16, DID THE ACR X GET AN RA TO DSND ALSO? I FELT THAT IT PUT THEM IN CLOSER PROX THAN NO RA OR AN RA TO CLB.

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.