Airborne traffic conflict occurred in positive control area.

Attributes
ACN	114366
Time
Date	198906
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rbl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24600 msl bound upper : 25000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa tower : azo
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Transport
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15300 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	114366
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 10000 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Departed sfo xa for sea. After considerable vectoring following departure, we were cleared direct to rbl VOR and FL350. Climbing thru FL246, controller ordered a left turn to heading 250 degree, and for us to 'maintain FL240'. A military aircraft (mlt, I think) was west or swbnd and directed to turn left and maintain FL250. Controller then requested the other aircraft to 'tighten' his turn. We saw the other aircraft in a steep left turn, 2 to 3 mi away (our 3 O'clock position) and perhaps 700' above our altitude. There was obviously an error by someone. My crew agreed that we were proceeding as cleared by ATC. While we followed the controller's orders immediately, few if any of our passenger were aware that we had taken 'evasive' action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRBORNE TRAFFIC CONFLICT OCCURRED IN PCA.

Narrative: DEPARTED SFO XA FOR SEA. AFTER CONSIDERABLE VECTORING FOLLOWING DEP, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO RBL VOR AND FL350. CLIMBING THRU FL246, CTLR ORDERED A LEFT TURN TO HDG 250 DEG, AND FOR US TO 'MAINTAIN FL240'. A MIL ACFT (MLT, I THINK) WAS WEST OR SWBND AND DIRECTED TO TURN LEFT AND MAINTAIN FL250. CTLR THEN REQUESTED THE OTHER ACFT TO 'TIGHTEN' HIS TURN. WE SAW THE OTHER ACFT IN A STEEP LEFT TURN, 2 TO 3 MI AWAY (OUR 3 O'CLOCK POSITION) AND PERHAPS 700' ABOVE OUR ALT. THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY AN ERROR BY SOMEONE. MY CREW AGREED THAT WE WERE PROCEEDING AS CLRED BY ATC. WHILE WE FOLLOWED THE CTLR'S ORDERS IMMEDIATELY, FEW IF ANY OF OUR PAX WERE AWARE THAT WE HAD TAKEN 'EVASIVE' ACTION.

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.