You are correct, the two TCAS boxes in each plane actually "Talk" to each other and work out a resolution. In this case it sounds like TCAS did it's job. When the ATC controller told the one plane to do the opposite of what TCAS said the pilot should have continued following the TCAS instructions and told the controller he was following a TCAS conflict resolution. I have on many occasions had TCAS go off and say "Climb" or "Descend" by the time it goes off the situation is usually critical, we are taught to follow the TCAS (unless it is going to put you into terrain) and then tell ATC what is going on as soon as you can. Maybe the training these poor souls had did not prepare them to react properly to the situation but ATC put them there to begin with so it look like once again a chain of errors led to this unfortunate accident.Ken

>A great rule of aviation: "Your insturments never lie." ...except in that case of the GA pilot trying to find a small island in ther middle of the Pacific using the only navigational instrument he had - ADF. Of course, by the time he figured out that it was completely bust he was hopelessly lost...Cheers,Paul

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/paul.haworth/Fortress.gifVoted Best Virtual Airline of 2002 and Best CEO of 2002 by participants in the BIG VA Vote organized by FSPILOT.comVANF "Best" New Virtual Airline Awardhttp://homepage.ntlworld.com/paul.haworth/saint_georgex1.gif

Pilot's gotta know the limitations of their equipment as well as trusting them.Timothy