A DC9 FLT CREW FEELS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD A PLTDEV.

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ON CLBOUT FROM SDF; ABOUT 50 MI NW OF ARPT; WE WERE LEVEL AT 14000 FT. ZID ADVISED US TFC AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS. WE REPLIED WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT. ZID THEN TOLD US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH TFC AND CLB TO FL230. WE STARTED TO CLB WHEN CAPT SAID THAT HE LOST THE TFC. AT THAT MOMENT; ZID ASKED US IF WE STILL HAD A VISUAL ON THE TFC; WHICH WE REPLIED NO. ZID IMMEDIATELY TOLD US TO DSND TO 14000 FT; WHICH CAPT DID IMMEDIATELY. ZID THEN TOLD US TO DSND TO 14000 FT AND TURN R TO HDG 090 DEGS (WE WERE ORIGINALLY HDG 345 DEGS); AND RPT LEVEL AT 14000 FT. WE LEVELED AT 14000 FT WHILE CAPT WAS TURNING THROUGH 355 DEG HDG AND RPTED LEVEL. ZID THEN TOLD US TO TURN TO HDG 345 DEGS AND GO DIRECT BVT VOR. WE COMPLIED WITH THIS CLRNC. MINS LATER; WE WERE CLRED TO FL230; AND WERE GIVEN FREQ CHANGE. WE SWITCHED FREQS. MINS LATER; THE ZID CTLR GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL FOR POSSIBLE PLTDEV. UPON LNDG AT MSP; WE CALLED ZID. THEY SAID THEY REVIEWED TAPE AND FOUND NO VIOLATION OF ALT OR SPACING. IN FUTURE; I WOULD NOT ACCEPT CLB WHILE MAINTAINING VISUAL SEPARATION AT NIGHT. IT'S TOO EASY TO LOSE TFC.