Narrative:

We were nonstop fort meyers, fl, to charlotte, nc at FL330, on a nnw heading near columbia, sc, controled by ZJX. The controller began calling a flight aeia. There was no flight aeia. He finally realized his mistake and called aega. He told us to leave FL330 immediately, then within seconds, told us to turn to a westerly heading. As we began our turn the first officer saw a medium large transport Y to our right less than 1 mi away (estimated), and by now at least 1000' above us as we neared FL310. He obviously was at FL330 on a northerly heading, so our closure was side to side. I asked for more information and was told to call ZJX and clt. I did so and the supervisor said that he had an 'in-house' problem, that I should hear nothing more about the incident. This incident came about from 100% ATC errors, first clearing 2 aircraft at same altitude with flight paths that cross. Even that would have been less of a problem if controller had not been using wrong call sign. It is my observation that errors by ATC and confrontations with ATC is increasing at an alarming rate--it cannot (must not) continue like this. I am a check pilot. Is it also my observation that approximately 25-30% of the pilots that come before me for check rides have had at least 1 recent confrontation and/or conflict with ATC, followed by threat of a pilot violation. All that I have been aware of have come about from a clearance to wrong flight, ATC not listening to readbacks of flight crews, actually forgetting about a flight being cleared for takeoff, etc. To conduct a flight in eastern 1/3 of us is beginning to take on stress levels of aerial combat considering the ATC attitude, FAA attitude to place blame on flight crews for their lack of competency and lack of cooperation. The fix for this must start with ATC and the FAA, and soon!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION ACR-MLG ACR-MLG ON CONVERGING COURSE APCHING NAVIGATION AID.

Narrative: WE WERE NONSTOP FORT MEYERS, FL, TO CHARLOTTE, NC AT FL330, ON A NNW HDG NEAR COLUMBIA, SC, CTLED BY ZJX. THE CTLR BEGAN CALLING A FLT AEIA. THERE WAS NO FLT AEIA. HE FINALLY REALIZED HIS MISTAKE AND CALLED AEGA. HE TOLD US TO LEAVE FL330 IMMEDIATELY, THEN WITHIN SECS, TOLD US TO TURN TO A WESTERLY HDG. AS WE BEGAN OUR TURN THE F/O SAW A MLG Y TO OUR RIGHT LESS THAN 1 MI AWAY (ESTIMATED), AND BY NOW AT LEAST 1000' ABOVE US AS WE NEARED FL310. HE OBVIOUSLY WAS AT FL330 ON A NORTHERLY HDG, SO OUR CLOSURE WAS SIDE TO SIDE. I ASKED FOR MORE INFO AND WAS TOLD TO CALL ZJX AND CLT. I DID SO AND THE SUPVR SAID THAT HE HAD AN 'IN-HOUSE' PROB, THAT I SHOULD HEAR NOTHING MORE ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THIS INCIDENT CAME ABOUT FROM 100% ATC ERRORS, FIRST CLRING 2 ACFT AT SAME ALT WITH FLT PATHS THAT CROSS. EVEN THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS OF A PROB IF CTLR HAD NOT BEEN USING WRONG CALL SIGN. IT IS MY OBSERVATION THAT ERRORS BY ATC AND CONFRONTATIONS WITH ATC IS INCREASING AT AN ALARMING RATE--IT CANNOT (MUST NOT) CONTINUE LIKE THIS. I AM A CHK PLT. IS IT ALSO MY OBSERVATION THAT APPROX 25-30% OF THE PLTS THAT COME BEFORE ME FOR CHK RIDES HAVE HAD AT LEAST 1 RECENT CONFRONTATION AND/OR CONFLICT WITH ATC, FOLLOWED BY THREAT OF A PLT VIOLATION. ALL THAT I HAVE BEEN AWARE OF HAVE COME ABOUT FROM A CLRNC TO WRONG FLT, ATC NOT LISTENING TO READBACKS OF FLT CREWS, ACTUALLY FORGETTING ABOUT A FLT BEING CLRED FOR TKOF, ETC. TO CONDUCT A FLT IN EASTERN 1/3 OF U.S. IS BEGINNING TO TAKE ON STRESS LEVELS OF AERIAL COMBAT CONSIDERING THE ATC ATTITUDE, FAA ATTITUDE TO PLACE BLAME ON FLT CREWS FOR THEIR LACK OF COMPETENCY AND LACK OF COOPERATION. THE FIX FOR THIS MUST START WITH ATC AND THE FAA, AND SOON!

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.