AN ACR MD88 WAS CLBING ON A DEP RTE OUT OF CVG AND WAS GIVEN TA ON A FLT OF 4 F16'S; VFR; DSNDING INTO A RESTR AREA BY THE ZID ARTCC RADAR CTLR. THE MD88 GOT A TCASII RA ON THE F16'S AND TURNED AND DSNDED VERSUS THE RA COMMAND TO CLB AND THE CTLR'S CLRNC TO CLB TO FL230. MD88 CAPT SAID TCASII COMMAND WAS WRONG; BUT THE RESULT OF HIS ACTIONS WAS AN NMAC.

Narrative

ACR X (MD88) DEPARTING CVG; ON THE LOVEY DEP AT 14000 FT; HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID THE 4 F16'S. TFC WAS CALLED PRIOR TO THE ACTION; FOR THE ACR X; WHO RPTED ACFT IN SIGHT. THE MIL FGT Y LEFT THE FREQ. ACR X PLT LATER SAID THAT HIS TCASII TOLD HIM TO CLB AFTER HE STARTED; HE HAD TO DSND TO MISS WING MEN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 350246: ACR X WAS ON CLBOUT ON V128 WITH CVG DEP; LEVEL AT 14000 FT; 250 KTS ASSIGNED. CAPT (PF). FLT HAD JUST BEEN SWITCHED TO A NEW FREQ ON WHICH CTLR (ZID) WAS ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT A MIL FLT. WHEN WE CHKED IN; CTLR ISSUED CLRNC TO FL230. SIMULTANEOUSLY TCASII SOUNDED A TA FOR A TARGET AT 2 O'CLOCK; CLOSE IN WE LOCATED 2 F16'S IN LOOSE L ECHELON AT 2 O'CLOCK; SLIGHTLY ABOVE; RANGE LESS THAN 1 MI; CONVERGING WITH US ON A SW HDG AND DSNDING TOWARD OUR ALT. WITHIN SECONDS; TCASII ISSUED AN RA CALLING FOR A CLB WHICH WAS NOT THE CORRECT MANEUVER. CAPT TURNED R FROM HDG 290 DEGS TOWARD N; DSNDING TOWARD 13500 FT TO PASS BELOW AND BEHIND THE F16'S WHICH CROSSED THE NOSE AT CLOSE RANGE; VERY SLIGHTLY ABOVE. AS THE 2 F16'S CLRED; A SECOND PAIR CAME INTO VIEW; ONE OF WHICH WAS AT 12 O'CLOCK; SLIGHTLY ABOVE OUR ALT AND UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE RANGE. TCASII DID NOT ALERT ON THESE SECOND 2 ACFT. CAPT HELD 13500 FT AND CONTINUED R TURN TO DIVERGE. ATC WAS ADVISED IMMEDIATELY AS EVASIVE TURN AND DSCNT WERE ORIGINALLY BEGUN. PAX TOOK NOTE OF THE MANEUVER. CAPT MADE PA TO EXPLAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. UPON LNDG IN DEN; CALLED AREA SUPVR AT ZID. HE SAID F16; 4 PLANE FORMATION; HAD CANCELED IFR AT 17000 FT ON THEIR DSCNT TO AN OPERATING AREA. ZID HAD NO RADIO CONTACT WITH THIS LOOSE F16 FORMATION. SUBSEQUENTLY; ZID AND CVG APCH BOTH FAILED TO POINT OUT CONFLICTING TFC. SUGGESTION: MIL TFC STAY WITH ZID IN BUSY DEP CORRIDOR.