B727 FLC MAKES TCASII MANEUVER WHEN IN DSCNT DUE TO CONFLICTING; CROSS E135 TFC UNDER ZOB CTL.

Narrative

DURING CRUISE AT FL220 (ALB-CVG) ON JET RTE 83 JUST S OF DRYER VOR (DJB) APCHING WAAHU INTXN; WE NOTICED ON TCASII AN ACFT OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THE S AT FL200 CLBING 20 MI IN FRONT OF US. WE WERE ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING TO ZOB (134.9); BUT THE CTLR CALLED AND SAID TO DSND TO FL200 WITH AN URGENT TONE OF VOICE. WE BEGAN THE DSCNT. SHORTLY AFTER; WE RECEIVED AN RA TO CLB. FORTUNATELY; WE HAD BEGUN A L TURN TO CORRECT FOR WIND DRIFT AND WITH THE IDEA THAT IT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE US ADDITIONAL SEPARATION FROM THE APCHING ACFT. THE RA AT APPROX 8 NM FROM THE OPPOSING ACFT. OUR EQUIP WAS COMMANDING AN IMMEDIATE 3000 FPM CLB -- THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS OFF AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE. THE TCASII DISPLAY SHOWED THE OPPOSING ACFT CO-ALT AND STILL CLBING. SINCE WE WERE IN VMC CONDITIONS AND HAD OBTAINED SOME LATERAL SEPARATION; WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE AS INSTRUCTED BY ATC AND DSND TO FL200; STILL IN A SLIGHT L TURN. THE OPPOSING RJ ALSO RECEIVED AN RA; AND REVERSED ITS CLB TO DSND BACK TOWARD OUR ALT. WE VISUALLY PICKED UP THE RJ AT 2.5 MI DSNDING OFF OUR R SIDE.