Narrative:

While climbing out with ZDC, we received a TCASII alert that instructed us to climb into traffic and deviate from ATC clearance. We were climbing at 500-700 FPM and we were at FL257 climbing to FL260 when we got a traffic caution light and aural warning. This was quickly followed by an alert with 'climb, continue climb' aural warning. The first officer was flying. He disconnected the autoplt and pulled the nose up to follow the vvi which was indicating a small green arc at about 1000 FPM climb. I made a call go ZDC to advise that we were climbing through our assigned altitude for a TCASII alert. At about this same time, I visually acquired the traffic at my left 9:30N O'clock position, slightly high and about 4 mi away on a course to pass behind us by about 2 NM. I told the first officer that we should descend, since the traffic was not a factor and was above us. While I was talking, the TCASII changed to 'descend' aural alert. We descended back to FL260 and ZDC informed us that the conflicting traffic was level at FL270. We wrote up the TCASII upon arrival so maintenance could check out its operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 CREW AND AN UNKNOWN ACFT HAD A TCASII RA IN ZDC CLASS A AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING OUT WITH ZDC, WE RECEIVED A TCASII ALERT THAT INSTRUCTED US TO CLB INTO TFC AND DEVIATE FROM ATC CLRNC. WE WERE CLBING AT 500-700 FPM AND WE WERE AT FL257 CLBING TO FL260 WHEN WE GOT A TFC CAUTION LIGHT AND AURAL WARNING. THIS WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY AN ALERT WITH 'CLB, CONTINUE CLB' AURAL WARNING. THE FO WAS FLYING. HE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND PULLED THE NOSE UP TO FOLLOW THE VVI WHICH WAS INDICATING A SMALL GREEN ARC AT ABOUT 1000 FPM CLB. I MADE A CALL GO ZDC TO ADVISE THAT WE WERE CLBING THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT FOR A TCASII ALERT. AT ABOUT THIS SAME TIME, I VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE TFC AT MY L 9:30N O'CLOCK POS, SLIGHTLY HIGH AND ABOUT 4 MI AWAY ON A COURSE TO PASS BEHIND US BY ABOUT 2 NM. I TOLD THE FO THAT WE SHOULD DSND, SINCE THE TFC WAS NOT A FACTOR AND WAS ABOVE US. WHILE I WAS TALKING, THE TCASII CHANGED TO 'DSND' AURAL ALERT. WE DSNDED BACK TO FL260 AND ZDC INFORMED US THAT THE CONFLICTING TFC WAS LEVEL AT FL270. WE WROTE UP THE TCASII UPON ARR SO MAINT COULD CHK OUT ITS OP.

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.