Narrative:

I was the first officer and PNF on flight (B757) from mco to den. At FL360 in the vicinity of huntsville, al, we were cleared to fly a westerly heading to avoid WX. While on a westerly heading, ATC asked if we could turn left to southwest heading. We responded that we could not due to WX. ATC then instructed us to turn right to a 360 degree heading. With an aircraft to our right showing on TCASII at our altitude, we thought it unwise and informed ATC that, after taking another look at the WX, we could come to the southwest heading. ATC seemed comfortable with that and said 'fine, come left to the southwest heading.' as we started the left turn, we received a TCASII advisory message on the aircraft to our right which we found out was another air carrier flight. The captain and I were concerned, to say the least, that ATC had just tried to turn us into the air carrier flight with the 360 degree heading. Had we followed ATC's instruction to turn to the 360 degree heading they gave us, we probably would have then received an upgraded TCASII RA alert. I do not believe that ATC ever gave the other flight a heading. I believe that the ATC controller was overworked because of the numerous flts in his sector that were deviating around the storm to the south.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT HAS A TCAS TA WITH ANOTHER ACR FLT AT THEIR ALT DURING VECTORS NEAR TSTM ACTIVITY NEAR HSV, AL.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO AND PNF ON FLT (B757) FROM MCO TO DEN. AT FL360 IN THE VICINITY OF HUNTSVILLE, AL, WE WERE CLRED TO FLY A WESTERLY HDG TO AVOID WX. WHILE ON A WESTERLY HDG, ATC ASKED IF WE COULD TURN L TO SW HDG. WE RESPONDED THAT WE COULD NOT DUE TO WX. ATC THEN INSTRUCTED US TO TURN R TO A 360 DEG HDG. WITH AN ACFT TO OUR R SHOWING ON TCASII AT OUR ALT, WE THOUGHT IT UNWISE AND INFORMED ATC THAT, AFTER TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT THE WX, WE COULD COME TO THE SW HDG. ATC SEEMED COMFORTABLE WITH THAT AND SAID 'FINE, COME L TO THE SW HDG.' AS WE STARTED THE L TURN, WE RECEIVED A TCASII ADVISORY MESSAGE ON THE ACFT TO OUR R WHICH WE FOUND OUT WAS ANOTHER ACR FLT. THE CAPT AND I WERE CONCERNED, TO SAY THE LEAST, THAT ATC HAD JUST TRIED TO TURN US INTO THE ACR FLT WITH THE 360 DEG HDG. HAD WE FOLLOWED ATC'S INSTRUCTION TO TURN TO THE 360 DEG HDG THEY GAVE US, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE THEN RECEIVED AN UPGRADED TCASII RA ALERT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ATC EVER GAVE THE OTHER FLT A HDG. I BELIEVE THAT THE ATC CTLR WAS OVERWORKED BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS FLTS IN HIS SECTOR THAT WERE DEVIATING AROUND THE STORM TO THE S.

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.