Narrative:

We were in cruise at FL370. Just prior to asbur intersection; we were given a clearance to descend and maintain FL350. The first officer programmed the autoplt for the descent and both he and I confirmed the clearance verbally while pointing at the selected altitude. Shortly after leaving FL370; we received a TCAS TA. The first officer levered the aircraft as the descent stopped we received a TCAS RA. The first officer disconnected the autoplt and started following the advisory guidance in a climb. ZDC queried our altitude; and I responded FL365. In fact the descent bottomed at FL366! There was traffic indicated on our navigation screen 600 ft below us at approximately our 4 O'clock position. We receive instructions from ATC to climb to FL370. Shortly after leveling at FL370 we were given instructions to maintain FL330. The subsequent descent and arrival at our destination was uneventful. Upon arrival; I contacted the supervisor at ZDC. He stated that the controller had descended us into traffic at FL360. He was very helpful and explained how the situation had occurred. The flight attendants and the passenger were unaware of the incident. The first officer performed the leveloff and climb smoothly; following the RA instructions precisely. In retrospect; I could have seen the traffic on the TCAS screen. Neither the first officer nor I were distraction. Both of us had our navigation displays set to long range which may have made it more difficult to identify the traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED TCAS RA AT APPROX FL360 WHEN ZDC CTLR ISSUED DSCNT CLRNC THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT; OPERROR RECORDED.

Narrative: WE WERE IN CRUISE AT FL370. JUST PRIOR TO ASBUR INTXN; WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL350. THE FO PROGRAMMED THE AUTOPLT FOR THE DSCNT AND BOTH HE AND I CONFIRMED THE CLRNC VERBALLY WHILE POINTING AT THE SELECTED ALT. SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING FL370; WE RECEIVED A TCAS TA. THE FO LEVERED THE ACFT AS THE DSCNT STOPPED WE RECEIVED A TCAS RA. THE FO DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND STARTED FOLLOWING THE ADVISORY GUIDANCE IN A CLB. ZDC QUERIED OUR ALT; AND I RESPONDED FL365. IN FACT THE DSCNT BOTTOMED AT FL366! THERE WAS TFC INDICATED ON OUR NAV SCREEN 600 FT BELOW US AT APPROX OUR 4 O'CLOCK POS. WE RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC TO CLB TO FL370. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT FL370 WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO MAINTAIN FL330. THE SUBSEQUENT DSCNT AND ARR AT OUR DEST WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON ARR; I CONTACTED THE SUPVR AT ZDC. HE STATED THAT THE CTLR HAD DSNDED US INTO TFC AT FL360. HE WAS VERY HELPFUL AND EXPLAINED HOW THE SITUATION HAD OCCURRED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE PAX WERE UNAWARE OF THE INCIDENT. THE FO PERFORMED THE LEVELOFF AND CLB SMOOTHLY; FOLLOWING THE RA INSTRUCTIONS PRECISELY. IN RETROSPECT; I COULD HAVE SEEN THE TFC ON THE TCAS SCREEN. NEITHER THE FO NOR I WERE DISTR. BOTH OF US HAD OUR NAV DISPLAYS SET TO LONG RANGE WHICH MAY HAVE MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO IDENT THE TFC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.