Narrative:

After takeoff from bwi, approach cleared us to 8000 ft and gave us a heading of 220 degrees. We then contacted washington approach. Washington approach gave us 17000 ft, and still the same heading. While they were handing us over to ZDC, they gave us a clearance to expedite through 20000 to 23000 ft. At the moment, he said that we got a red boxed corrective (RA) to descend 1500 FPM -- we were climbing at the time 2800 FPM. The captain took the airplane off autoplt, initiated a descent, at that time it said 2500 ft down on the TCASII. The aircraft was to our right. I visually saw him at 2 O'clock position. I looked back at the TCASII, and it said we needed 4000 ft down, which he (captain) did. The controller said don't worry, to climb anyway. I responded that we had an alert and were descending. He said to keep climbing. I responded, we are descending, he said, you'll be ok. Then he said to do what we needed to do. Those were his exact words. I looked to the right and saw the aircraft ever so close off the right side -- passing overhead, over our tail at about +100 ft, TCASII showed '+ 100 ft' RA red box. At the time he passed overhead, we were at a maximum 6000 FPM descent! We are still unsure why he said it would be ok to climb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER XFER OF COM FROM PCT TO ZDC, B717 FLC INITIATED TCASII EVASIVE MANEUVER DUE TO A CONFLICTING CARJ.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM BWI, APCH CLRED US TO 8000 FT AND GAVE US A HDG OF 220 DEGS. WE THEN CONTACTED WASHINGTON APCH. WASHINGTON APCH GAVE US 17000 FT, AND STILL THE SAME HDG. WHILE THEY WERE HANDING US OVER TO ZDC, THEY GAVE US A CLRNC TO EXPEDITE THROUGH 20000 TO 23000 FT. AT THE MOMENT, HE SAID THAT WE GOT A RED BOXED CORRECTIVE (RA) TO DSND 1500 FPM -- WE WERE CLBING AT THE TIME 2800 FPM. THE CAPT TOOK THE AIRPLANE OFF AUTOPLT, INITIATED A DSCNT, AT THAT TIME IT SAID 2500 FT DOWN ON THE TCASII. THE ACFT WAS TO OUR R. I VISUALLY SAW HIM AT 2 O'CLOCK POS. I LOOKED BACK AT THE TCASII, AND IT SAID WE NEEDED 4000 FT DOWN, WHICH HE (CAPT) DID. THE CTLR SAID DON'T WORRY, TO CLB ANYWAY. I RESPONDED THAT WE HAD AN ALERT AND WERE DSNDING. HE SAID TO KEEP CLBING. I RESPONDED, WE ARE DSNDING, HE SAID, YOU'LL BE OK. THEN HE SAID TO DO WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO. THOSE WERE HIS EXACT WORDS. I LOOKED TO THE R AND SAW THE ACFT EVER SO CLOSE OFF THE R SIDE -- PASSING OVERHEAD, OVER OUR TAIL AT ABOUT +100 FT, TCASII SHOWED '+ 100 FT' RA RED BOX. AT THE TIME HE PASSED OVERHEAD, WE WERE AT A MAX 6000 FPM DSCNT! WE ARE STILL UNSURE WHY HE SAID IT WOULD BE OK 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.