Date: 201511
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZKC.ARTCC, KS
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Climb
Airspace: Class A ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Workload; Situational Awareness; Distraction
Second reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Airspace Structure
Primary problem: Airspace Structure

Narrative: Departing OKC; assigned heading by departure 340 and climb 15;000. Course was intercepting PER radial 195 to LARKO intersection which we were established on at the time of the event. Switched to KC Center. Controller was busy; PM waited as he should for freq to clear before checking on. After about 1 minute roughly; traffic appeared on TCAS at same altitude. Captain made comment; I verfied and started looking. Found conflict aircraft at time of TA (not RA yet); we each made some comment about corrective action. At 'RA' I; Pilot Flying (PF) disconnected AP and started a aggressive climb to comply with TCAS guidance. I also started a bank away from conflicting traffic at auto-pilot disconnect to add seperation/basic human survival i.e. don't hit another plane at 15;000 going +300 knots. After compling with TCAS RA; corrected back to assigned altitude and course. Pilot Monitoring (PM) notified Center; (which he had no clue nor did it seem like he cared that he almost had two planes get togther at 15;000 feet) and we were then given another altitude to climb to and the rest of flight went as planned. Conflict aircraft silhouette appeared TO ME as a twin prop who banked away from us as well.


Second narrative: On flight out of OKC; we were given a heading of 340 degrees and climb to 15;000 and intercept the PER 195 radial to Larko and on course. Departure handed us off to KC center and we intercepted the 195 degree radial at about the same time. As we tried to check on with KC center; they were having problems communicating with another aircraft which delayed our check-in. At about this time I saw a target approaching on the TCAS at about 2 o'clock and 500 feet below us and climbing in our direction. I mentioned the First Officer (FO) to be ready. Shortly after that we got a climb TCAS command and complied. As we were climbing; the other aircraft was also climbing. FO saw the aircraft and said it was a twin prop of some sort (maybe a Baron). We continued the climb until clear of conflict and about 16;500 feet or 1;500 foot deviation after which we were returning to our original altitude when we could finally get a word in edge-wise with center and they then gave us a higher climb. FO said it looked like the intruder aircraft was about 2 miles from us at our altitude initially. We advised KC center of the RA and they said that aircraft was not on their frequency and was in OKC Approach control area. Not sure if that target aircraft was VFR or controlled. VMC conditions.


Synopsis: The crew responded to an RA after departing OKC while trying to check in with Kansas City Center.