AN ACR FLC IN A B737-200 REACTS TO AN 'RA;' AND DURING THEIR EVASIVE CLB THEY COME CLOSE TO ANOTHER ACR AT 11000 FT. THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR WAS UPSET.

Narrative

ON MAY/THU/97; INBOUND TO HOUSTON'S INTERCONTINENTAL ARPT IN A B737-200 EQUIPPED WITH TCASII; WE WERE ON AND OFF THE COUGAR 6 ARR SEVERAL TIMES AND AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR SPACING. ON A HDG OF 270 DEGS AND LEVEL AT 10000 FT MSL AND IN WX; WE RECEIVED A TCASII ALERT 'TFC. TFC.' I LOOKED DOWN TO THE SCREEN TO IDENT AND SAW THE RED INDICATION IN FRONT OF OUR ACFT AMONGST THE WX WE WERE PAINTING. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER I HEARD; 'CLB; CLB' AND I INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO APPROX 11500 FT; AT WHICH TIME I HEARD TCASII ANNOUNCE 'CLR OF TFC; CLR OF TFC.' WE NOTIFIED ATC OF WHAT WE DID AND WHY WE TOOK THIS ACTION; AND THEY STATED THAT WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 10000 FT. WE AGAIN STATED THAT WE HAD CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII ALERT AND THAT WE WERE DSNDING BACK TO 10000 FT. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO CALL ATC WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND; REASON 'PLTDEV.' ON THE TELEPHONE WITH CTR WE DISCUSSED WHAT WE DID AND WHY WE DID IT AND I WAS TOLD WE HAD CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT AT 11000 FT AND HAD COME AS CLOSE AS 100 FT AND 1.6 MI. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER TFC THAT WAS IN OUR IMMEDIATE AREA ALTHOUGH I'M SURE THERE WAS SOME. TFC AND CONGESTION ON FREQ WAS A DEFINITE FACTOR. HAVING AN EAR PIECE IN ONE EAR AND LISTENING TO A TCASII ALERT WITH THE OTHER EAR ON AN OVERHEAD SPEAKER AND NOT HAVING TCASII CANCEL VHF COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. THIS WAS A CLR CUT RESPONSE TO A TCASII ALERT THAT PUT OUR ACFT IN JEOPARDY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT HE WAS IN CLOUDS AT 10000 FT NEAR DWH WHEN HE GOT AN 'RA' TO CLB. AFTERWARDS; THE CTLR WAS VERY UPSET AND REQUESTED THAT THE FLC CALL THE ARTCC FACILITY. THE FACILITY SUPVR; APPARENTLY; TOLD THE RPTR THAT HIS FLT HAD MISSED AN ACR FLYING AT 11000 FT BY ONLY 100 FT AND 1.6 MI. THIS WAS A GOOD CONVERSATION; ACCORDING TO THE RPTR AND HE HAS HEARD NOTHING MORE FROM THE FAA. HIS COMPANY WAS MAINTAINING CONTACT WITH THE FAA AND HIS CHIEF PLT SAID THAT HE WOULD ADVISE THE CAPT IF ANY FURTHER ACTION WAS NECESSARY. THE RPTR IS AN INSTRUCTOR AND ONE OF HIS FELLOW INSTRUCTOR'S SONS FLIES SIMULATED DOG-FIGHT MISSIONS OUT OF DWH AND; ACCORDING TO THE RPTR; HAS HAD A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS WHERE THE CLIENTS (THE DOG- FIGHTERS) SPILLOUT OF THEIR BLOCK OF AIRSPACE. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE FORGOT TO ASK THE CTLR WHAT TYPE OF ACFT CAUSED THE 'RA.'