An air carrier flight crew experiences a TCASII RA when another aircraft is quickly climbing to an altitude 1000 ft below theirs.

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Attributes
ACN	577062
Time
Date	200303
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mie.vor
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl single value : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid.artcc
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	577062
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	577158
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : took evasive action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Airspace Structure

Narrative:

Our flight was level at FL220. We just received a frequency change. Our TCASII showed an aircraft climbing towards us. The TCASII gave us a TA on the aircraft. We watched as the aircraft was climbing out of FL200 with an 'up' arrow indicating a climb of 500 FPM or greater. Then our TCASII gave us an RA, which we followed. We climbed our aircraft to FL225 to resolve the RA. As we checked in on our new frequency/sector, we found out that it was an air carrier B737 cleared to FL210. Of course we had no way of knowing this because we had not been on our new frequency long enough to have the benefit of listening in to other aircraft. This could also have been a similar situation as had happened in europe. I am assuming that the air carrier B737 also got some type of TCASII alert. It would help if pilots of fast climbing aircraft would reduce their climb rates when they see a possible TCASII alert developing to avoid a bump up on level aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLT CREW EXPERIENCES A TCASII RA WHEN ANOTHER ACFT IS QUICKLY CLBING TO AN ALT 1000 FT BELOW THEIRS.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS LEVEL AT FL220. WE JUST RECEIVED A FREQ CHANGE. OUR TCASII SHOWED AN ACFT CLBING TOWARDS US. THE TCASII GAVE US A TA ON THE ACFT. WE WATCHED AS THE ACFT WAS CLBING OUT OF FL200 WITH AN 'UP' ARROW INDICATING A CLB OF 500 FPM OR GREATER. THEN OUR TCASII GAVE US AN RA, WHICH WE FOLLOWED. WE CLBED OUR ACFT TO FL225 TO RESOLVE THE RA. AS WE CHKED IN ON OUR NEW FREQ/SECTOR, WE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS AN ACR B737 CLRED TO FL210. OF COURSE WE HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING THIS BECAUSE WE HAD NOT BEEN ON OUR NEW FREQ LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE THE BENEFIT OF LISTENING IN TO OTHER ACFT. THIS COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN A SIMILAR SIT AS HAD HAPPENED IN EUROPE. I AM ASSUMING THAT THE ACR B737 ALSO GOT SOME TYPE OF TCASII ALERT. IT WOULD HELP IF PLTS OF FAST CLBING ACFT WOULD REDUCE THEIR CLB RATES WHEN THEY SEE A POSSIBLE TCASII ALERT DEVELOPING TO AVOID A BUMP UP ON LEVEL ACFT.

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.