FLC OF A DC9 DSNDED IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA DURING DEP CLB.

Narrative

FOLLOWING OUR DEP FROM MEMPHIS; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP. THE DEP CTLR CLRED US TO CLB TO 16000 FT WITH A VECTOR TOWARD SIDON VOR. UPON PASSING 10000 FT THE CTLR NOTIFIED US OF KING AIR TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK AT 14000 FT. I INFORMED HER THAT WE DID NOT HAVE CONTACT WITH THE TFC. AS WE CLBED THROUGH 13500 FT; THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN 13000 FT. THE CAPT; WHO WAS THE PF; INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 13000 FT. AS THE CAPT STARTED TO DSND; WE RECEIVED AN RA TO DSND. THE TCASII DEPICTED THE KING AIR 500 FT ABOVE OUR ALT. AFTER LEVELING AT 13000 FT; THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN EASTWARD FROM A SBOUND HDG. THE CTLR ALSO INSTRUCTED US TO CLB BACK TO 16000 FT; BUT AS THE CAPT BEGAN THE CLB; WE RECEIVED ANOTHER TCASII RA AND WE DSNDED UNTIL WE WERE CLR OF THE CONFLICT. WE PROCEEDED TO BATON ROUGE AND CALLED THE ZME SUPVR. HE REPLAYED THE TAPES AND TOLD US THAT WE MADE THE PROPER CALLS AND WE DID NOT MISS A CALL FROM THE CTLR TO STOP AT A LOWER ALT. THE CTLR THOUGHT THAT SHE AMENDED OUR ALT TO AVOID THE KING AIR TFC. HE DETERMINED THE CONFLICT WAS CTLR ERROR. THIS CONFLICT MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT THE KING AIR TFC 2000 FT BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT.