PLTDEV NMAC RESULTING FROM A TCASII ALERT EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN BY ACR Y. ACR Y CLBED TOWARD RATHER THAN DSNDED AWAY FROM MIL X.

Narrative

THE RADAR CTLR AND I WERE WORKING THE RQZ (ROCKET) SECTOR (06) IN ZTL. THE SUPVR BROUGHT US A STRIP ON AN ATL ARR AND ASKED US TO WORK THE ACFT N INTO OUR AIRSPACE SINCE THE SECTOR S OF US (GAD-SECTOR 03) WAS OVERLOADED WITH ACFT DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS IN THE SE PART OF THEIR SECTOR AND THROUGHOUT THE SECTOR S OF GAD SECTOR. WE RECEIVED A HDOF ON MIL (X); AN F16; SE OF GQO VORTAC DIRECT VUZ VORTAC LNDG CBM AT FL250. WE KNEW THIS ACFT WOULD CREATE MUCH MORE WORKLOAD FOR THE GAD SECTOR; SO WE POINTED OUT THE F16 TO THE SECTOR IMMEDIATELY BELOW US; DALAS SECTOR (05); AND GOT APPROVAL FROM THE NEXT LOW ALT SECTOR (BHM) TO DSND MIL X TO FL230. THUS GOING BELOW GAD SECTORS ALTS OF FL240 TO FL330. THE RADAR CTLR HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED ACR Y; A B727 WITH TCASII; DOWN TO FL240 ON JG6 TO RMG LNDG ATL. ACR Y WAS ALREADY ON DALAS SECTOR'S FREQ BEFORE XING THE RTE OF MIL X; THE RADAR CTLR HAD HEARD THE DALAS CTLR GIVE ACR Y DSCNT CLRNC TO 'CROSS DALAS INTXN AT AND MAINTAIN 14000 FT. WHEN ACR Y AND MIL X WERE LESS THAN 2 MINS FROM XING; MY RADAR CTLR GAVE MIL X CLRNC TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL230. THE DALAS CTLR IMMEDIATELY SAID; 'YOU DIDN'T DSND THAT F16; DID YOU?' MY RADAR CTLR SAID; 'YES; HAVEN'T YOU DSNDED ACR Y?' THE DALAS CTLR SAID; 'YES; BUT IT'S A DISCRETIONARY CLRNC; HE'S STILL AT FL240.' THE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED AND I SAW FL245 IN MIL X'S DATA BLOCK AND NO RPTED ALT IN ACR Y'S DATA BLOCK. THE DALAS CTLR WAS NOW TELLING ACR Y TO DSND IMMEDIATELY THROUGH FL220; AND MY RADAR CTLR WAS TELLING MIL X TO CLB IMMEDIATELY TO FL250 AND BE LEVEL IN 30 SECONDS IF POSSIBLE. THE ACFT WERE ABOUT 7 MI APART. I TOLD THE RADAR CTLR IT WOULD BE EASIER NOW TO GO UNDERNEATH THE ACR X. HE SAID 'I WOULD BUT DALAS GAVE ACR Y AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT. JUST THEN THE F16 RPTED LEVEL AGAIN AT FL250. I LOOKED AT THE DATA AND THE F16 SHOWED NO RPTED ALT; BUT THE ACR Y SHOWED FL244. I SAID 'WHAT'S THAT ACR Y DOING -- HIS ALT SHOWS 20-4-4.' THE NEXT RADAR UPDATE SHOWED FL247. THE DALAS CTLR ASKED ACR Y IF HE CLBED INSTEAD OF DSNDED. ACR Y SAID 'YES; WE GOT A RA ADVISING US TO CLB AND THEN THE OTHER ACFT WENT RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF US.'