Narrative:

First officer started descent from FL310 to FL280. Heading approximately 290 degree east of cvg VOR (20-30 mit). Center gave a turn to 240 degree. No call on traffic. After about 20 degree of turn looked out and noticed an aircraft medium large transport at same altitude flying right to left approximately 1 1/2 mi away. Thought it strange that center had us turning to a heading that basically had us training as if to draw a bead on the other aircraft. Asked second officer if we heard right with the 240 degree heading. Told center we had traffic in sight. Long pause from center, then a non committal 'ok'. Turned head back into cockpit, second officer and myself noticed at same time we were passing through FL280. First officer had head out of cockpit. Bottomed out at 27,680'. Center seems very strained and busy in the indy area. Especially around the 132.32 and 132.05 area. A real problem is other traffic not on your frequency but being handled by your controller. Also have noticed very few controllers are notifying you if another aircraft with similar call numbers is on frequency with you. (Has nothing to do with this case, but generally sloppy service.) first officer was not minding the store. We need more controllers.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION TWO ACR MLGS EAST OF CVG. ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT WATCHING TRAFFIC.

Narrative: F/O STARTED DSCNT FROM FL310 TO FL280. HDG APPROX 290 DEG E OF CVG VOR (20-30 MIT). CENTER GAVE A TURN TO 240 DEG. NO CALL ON TFC. AFTER ABOUT 20 DEG OF TURN LOOKED OUT AND NOTICED AN ACFT MLG AT SAME ALT FLYING RIGHT TO LEFT APPROX 1 1/2 MI AWAY. THOUGHT IT STRANGE THAT CENTER HAD US TURNING TO A HDG THAT BASICALLY HAD US TRNING AS IF TO DRAW A BEAD ON THE OTHER ACFT. ASKED S/O IF WE HEARD RIGHT WITH THE 240 DEG HDG. TOLD CENTER WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT. LONG PAUSE FROM CENTER, THEN A NON COMMITTAL 'OK'. TURNED HEAD BACK INTO COCKPIT, S/O AND MYSELF NOTICED AT SAME TIME WE WERE PASSING THROUGH FL280. F/O HAD HEAD OUT OF COCKPIT. BOTTOMED OUT AT 27,680'. CENTER SEEMS VERY STRAINED AND BUSY IN THE INDY AREA. ESPECIALLY AROUND THE 132.32 AND 132.05 AREA. A REAL PROBLEM IS OTHER TFC NOT ON YOUR FREQ BUT BEING HANDLED BY YOUR CTLR. ALSO HAVE NOTICED VERY FEW CTLRS ARE NOTIFYING YOU IF ANOTHER ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL NUMBERS IS ON FREQ WITH YOU. (HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS CASE, BUT GENERALLY SLOPPY SERVICE.) F/O WAS NOT MINDING THE STORE. WE NEED MORE CTLRS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.