A319
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 110; Flight Crew Total 16500; Flight Crew Type 10000
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Procedure
Flying into FLL in the FISEL 5; I was the pilot flying. We were given a descent to cross FATHR at 24;000 FT. I started down to meet the restriction from cruise altitude at an appropriate time and distance. While descending through approximately 30;000 FT; Miami Center said to expedite through 27;000 FT with no mention of any traffic conflict. At about 29;000 FT; Miami told us to 'just level off.' I stopped the descent. Shortly after that; TCAS produced a TA about 7-800 FT below us and to right; climbing up at us. ATC still gave us no mention of any traffic and just when the Captain was about to ask we got a corrective RA to climb. I followed the RA guidance which was to climb at approximately 1;500 FPM and the Captain now called ATC and said we were in a TCAS climb. Miami said we also should start a left turn; which I did. Closest point of contact I observed was the intruder 200 FT below us. I was unsure of how far the lateral distance was since neither the Captain nor I could recall what range scale we were in. Eventually we climbed to over 31;000 FT to avoid the intruder and turned at least 30-40 degrees off course. Miami Center said the aircraft was an A320 on another frequency. The whole maneuver was very disconcerting since ATC didn't seem to have any idea of what was going on and no good guidance for us to avoid the threat. Thank goodness for TCAS and good training and a great Captain.
Air Carrier inbound to FLL described a conflict event apparently caused by an ATC separation error.