MD80 FLC RESPONDS TO TCASII RA WHILE COMPLYING WITH DSCNT CLRNC.

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WHILE FLYING BLEWE ONE ARR; WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND FROM FL220 TO 14000 FT BY ZHU. WITH THE CLRNC WE WERE ISSUED A TA OF A VFR CITATION; 17500 FT; NBOUND AT 11 O'CLOCK POS. WE STARTED THE DSCNT AND DID NOT PICK THE TFC UP ON TCASII UNTIL WE WENT TO THE 10 MI SCALE. AS WE CONVERGED ON THE TFC; WE COULD SEE THAT THE CITATION WAS COMING RIGHT AT US AND ABOUT THE TIME WE GOT A TA; I COMMENCED A SHALLOW L TURN OFF OF THE ARR RADIAL AND SHALLOWED OUT MY DSCNT. WE THEN GOT AN RA AND I FOLLOWED THE COMMAND TO CLB AT 2200 FPM. THE FO TOLD CTR THAT WE WERE CLBING TO AN RA. WE DID NOT SEE THE TFC UNTIL AFTER THE RA AS HE PASSED OFF TO OUR R WITHIN 200-400 FT AND WITHIN A MI OR SO LATERALLY. IT IS MY FEELING THAT CTLR SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A TFC ALERT; A STOP DSCNT OR A TURN; LONG BEFORE WE GOT THE RA. IF WE HAD NOT TURNED OR CLBED TO THE RA; THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST; A NEAR MISS. IT IS MY RECOLLECTION THAT CTLR ISSUED ONLY THE INITIAL ADVISORY. THIS COULD HAVE TURNED INTO A VERY SERIOUS SIT. HE SHOULD HAVE KEPT US CLR OF THE ONCOMING TFC. A PHONE CALL TO ZHU TO INQUIRE ABOUT RA FOLLOWED WITH NO POSITIVE RESULTS AS TO WHY IT HAPPENED.