MD80 flight crew has TCASII RA during arrival to ord.

Attributes
ACN	570144
Time
Date	200301
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon tower : psp.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	570144
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	570319
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying and captain had checked on with ord approach. We were cleared direct ord at 250 KTS. TCASII indicated a target at our 1 O'clock position 1000 ft below and climbing. Captain noted the target was now 500 ft below as ATC said that he was not talking to that aircraft. TCASII gave us a climb RA, and I began to comply as captain notified ATC that we were responding and in a climb. ATC emphatically told us to descend to 7000 ft, and the TCASII then commanded a descent RA. I began descent at 8500 ft to green arc on vsi. Captain spotted traffic directly overhead approximately 700 ft above as we descended through 8000 ft. Captain asked ATC who was talking to the traffic, and he said they were on departure frequency and that he would check into it. Had pilot on the jumpseat and all 3 of us agreed that the initial RA was to climb, followed by a descent RA prior to the clear of conflict message. The flight attendants were seated and there were no injuries. At the time of the initial RA and throughout the incident, we were IMC. We flew ILS runway 9R and landed without further incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC HAS TCASII RA DURING ARR TO ORD.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AND CAPT HAD CHKED ON WITH ORD APCH. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT ORD AT 250 KTS. TCASII INDICATED A TARGET AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS 1000 FT BELOW AND CLBING. CAPT NOTED THE TARGET WAS NOW 500 FT BELOW AS ATC SAID THAT HE WAS NOT TALKING TO THAT ACFT. TCASII GAVE US A CLB RA, AND I BEGAN TO COMPLY AS CAPT NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE WERE RESPONDING AND IN A CLB. ATC EMPHATICALLY TOLD US TO DSND TO 7000 FT, AND THE TCASII THEN COMMANDED A DSCNT RA. I BEGAN DSCNT AT 8500 FT TO GREEN ARC ON VSI. CAPT SPOTTED TFC DIRECTLY OVERHEAD APPROX 700 FT ABOVE AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 8000 FT. CAPT ASKED ATC WHO WAS TALKING TO THE TFC, AND HE SAID THEY WERE ON DEP FREQ AND THAT HE WOULD CHK INTO IT. HAD PLT ON THE JUMPSEAT AND ALL 3 OF US AGREED THAT THE INITIAL RA WAS TO CLB, FOLLOWED BY A DSCNT RA PRIOR TO THE CLR OF CONFLICT MESSAGE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SEATED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. AT THE TIME OF THE INITIAL RA AND THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT, WE WERE IMC. WE FLEW ILS RWY 9R AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.