Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Time Pressure; Communication Breakdown; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Procedure
[We were] at cruise; near TRM; FL240 as assigned by ATC; received Resolution Advisory (RA); 'TRAFFIC; TRAFFIC;' followed immediately by; 'DESCEND; DESCEND.' Captain flying disengaged autopilot and descended; First Officer monitoring notified ATC that we were responding [due] to an RA. First Officer observed an FA-18 merge from high-to-low; pass co-altitude at 1;200 FT; left to left; opposite direction; then the FA-18 abruptly climbed back above FL250 to re-enter it's block in a Presidential TFR near PSP. ATC then said; 'TRAFFIC ALERT!'; but the event was already over. ATC informed us that; 'it looks like he went below his altitude.' Total altitude deviation estimated to be approximately 300 FT; from FL240 to FL237 back to FL240. Maneuver was assessed to be fairly benign with no passenger disruptions noted. Captain and First Officer observed an additional FA-18 approximately 4;000 FT above; 8 miles; at our 11 o'clock position; in-flight refueling from a KC-10. This flight appeared established in the Presidential TFR and was not a factor. Having situational awareness of both fighters; the First Officer then informed ATC that we were climbing back to FL240 and ATC acknowledged. Captain climbed the aircraft back to FL240 and re-engaged the autopilot. We continued on to our destination and landed uneventfully.Conduct TCAS training for military fighter pilots for a better understanding of flight path geometry; rates of closure and the requirement for a commercial airliner to respond to a Resolution Advisory.
[Narrative #2 contains no additional information.]
An air carrier crew level at FL240 near PSP; took evasive action from a F-18 TCAS RA after the fighter strayed from the Presidential TFR airspace.