ACR X TCASII RA WITH MIL FLT OF 8 F16'S.

Narrative

ACR X LEVEL AT FL290 FROM ONT TO SLC. OUR POS WAS APPROX 80 NM S OF SLC. IT WAS MY (FO) LEG TO FLY. WE WERE INFORMED BY SLC ATC OF TFC AT 20 MI (MINUS 8 F-16 AT FL280). WHILE IN CRUISE WE RECEIVED A TCASII RA. A CHK OF THE TCASII SCREEN SHOWED TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK 500 FT ABOVE US. THERE WAS NO VISUAL CONTACT. THE VSI SHOWED A RED ARC ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TOP (NO CLB) AND DOWN TO 2000 FT DSCNT. THE GREEN ARC EXISTED BTWN 2000-2500 FT DESCENT. UPON RECEIPT OF THE RA (AFTER VISUALLY CHKING FOR TFC) I FOLLOWED THE RA; DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND STARTED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT. THE RATE OF DSCNT WAS 2500 FPM. THE CAPT INFORMED ATC THAT WE STARTED A DESCENT DUE TO A TCASII RA. ATC GAVE HIM A R TURN. WE LEVELED OFF AT FL280 BECAUSE TCASII NO LONGER INDICATED A CONFLICT. THE CAPT ASKED ATC IF THEY HAD LOST SEPARATION AND THE ANSWER WAS AFFIRMATIVE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 272130: COPLT AT 29000 FT. (HELD TO 290 FOR FLT OF 8 F-16'S AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK AT 28000). TCASII RESOLUTION DSND 2000 FPM FOR COLLISION CONFLICT 500 FT ABOVE US. COPLT FOLLOWED TCASII THREAT RESOLVED AT 28000 FT. CTR SAID THEY HAD LOST SEPARATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE CTR SUPVR HAD REVIEWED THE INCIDENT AND FOUND NO LOSS OF STANDARD SEPARATION. RPTR FELT THE CTR WAS COVERING UP FOR A MIL PLT IN THE FLT AT THE WRONG ALT.