Narrative:

I had air carrier X from stl proceeding direct iiu climbing to FL330. Air carrier Y was climbing to FL280 from abb proceeding direct pxv. I perceived to have about 5 mi sep if I didn't turn either aircraft. I turned air carrier Y 15 degrees right for his climb to ensure sep. I then climbed air carrier Y to FL310. 30 seconds elapsed before conflict alert activated and air carrier X and air carrier Y were head-on and 7 mi apart. Air carrier X was out of FL300 climbing to FL330. Air carrier Y was out of FL285 climbing to FL310. I told air carrier Y to descend back to FL280 as turns would not have helped at that time. Air carrier Y got as high as FL289 before descending back to FL280. I ended up with 1000' and 1 mi of sep which wasn't enough. I asked air carrier Y if he thought I said turn left 15 degrees or right 15 degrees. He just replied, 'turning right to avoid the traffic.' we played the tapes back and it confirmed I turned air carrier Y 15 degrees right and he read back 15 degrees right. But the air carrier Y actually turned 15 degrees left which put him in conflict with air carrier X. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter stated the types of aircraft were large transport's. Air carrier X and air carrier Y were 30 mi apart at the time he gave air carrier Y a right turn. Air carrier Y turned left. Reporter did not see the turn wrong direction until C/a activated. Reporter said traffic was heavy at the time. Pilot deviation was filed by the facility. Supplemental information from acn 154909: while climbing on course to FL310, ATC gave us vectors for climb turn, which was received and complied with. The heading flown was incorrect. We are not certain who made the error. ATC was first to take corrective action with an 'air carrier Y, stop your climb at FL280.' we were past FL280 when this call was received, but took immediate action to descend back to FL280. We answered you want air carrier Y to descend back to FL280. The next transmission was air carrier Y descend immediately to FL280 and turn left to heading? At this time the captain who was flying saw the conflicting traffic and made a gentle right turn to avoid the traffic. I advised ATC that we were turning right to avoid the traffic. I believe a left turn would have caused a near miss and possible personnel injury since the seat belt sign was off, and a left turn would have forced us to shove the nose over abruptly. I know both the captain and I were very tired after a long day previous to this one that caused us to get minimum crew rest time. We had a X:30 am pickup time and our crew rest was disturbed by events at our hotel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM ACR Y. PLT DEVIATION. ACR Y FLT CREW TURNED WRONG DIRECTION.

Narrative: I HAD ACR X FROM STL PROCEEDING DIRECT IIU CLBING TO FL330. ACR Y WAS CLBING TO FL280 FROM ABB PROCEEDING DIRECT PXV. I PERCEIVED TO HAVE ABOUT 5 MI SEP IF I DIDN'T TURN EITHER ACFT. I TURNED ACR Y 15 DEGS RIGHT FOR HIS CLB TO ENSURE SEP. I THEN CLBED ACR Y TO FL310. 30 SECS ELAPSED BEFORE CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED AND ACR X AND ACR Y WERE HEAD-ON AND 7 MI APART. ACR X WAS OUT OF FL300 CLBING TO FL330. ACR Y WAS OUT OF FL285 CLBING TO FL310. I TOLD ACR Y TO DSND BACK TO FL280 AS TURNS WOULD NOT HAVE HELPED AT THAT TIME. ACR Y GOT AS HIGH AS FL289 BEFORE DSNDING BACK TO FL280. I ENDED UP WITH 1000' AND 1 MI OF SEP WHICH WASN'T ENOUGH. I ASKED ACR Y IF HE THOUGHT I SAID TURN LEFT 15 DEGS OR RIGHT 15 DEGS. HE JUST REPLIED, 'TURNING RIGHT TO AVOID THE TFC.' WE PLAYED THE TAPES BACK AND IT CONFIRMED I TURNED ACR Y 15 DEGS RIGHT AND HE READ BACK 15 DEGS RIGHT. BUT THE ACR Y ACTUALLY TURNED 15 DEGS LEFT WHICH PUT HIM IN CONFLICT WITH ACR X. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATED THE TYPES OF ACFT WERE LGT'S. ACR X AND ACR Y WERE 30 MI APART AT THE TIME HE GAVE ACR Y A RIGHT TURN. ACR Y TURNED LEFT. RPTR DID NOT SEE THE TURN WRONG DIRECTION UNTIL C/A ACTIVATED. RPTR SAID TFC WAS HEAVY AT THE TIME. PLT DEVIATION WAS FILED BY THE FAC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 154909: WHILE CLBING ON COURSE TO FL310, ATC GAVE US VECTORS FOR CLB TURN, WHICH WAS RECEIVED AND COMPLIED WITH. THE HDG FLOWN WAS INCORRECT. WE ARE NOT CERTAIN WHO MADE THE ERROR. ATC WAS FIRST TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION WITH AN 'ACR Y, STOP YOUR CLB AT FL280.' WE WERE PAST FL280 WHEN THIS CALL WAS RECEIVED, BUT TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO DSND BACK TO FL280. WE ANSWERED YOU WANT ACR Y TO DSND BACK TO FL280. THE NEXT XMISSION WAS ACR Y DSND IMMEDIATELY TO FL280 AND TURN LEFT TO HDG? AT THIS TIME THE CAPT WHO WAS FLYING SAW THE CONFLICTING TFC AND MADE A GENTLE RIGHT TURN TO AVOID THE TFC. I ADVISED ATC THAT WE WERE TURNING RIGHT TO AVOID THE TFC. I BELIEVE A LEFT TURN WOULD HAVE CAUSED A NEAR MISS AND POSSIBLE PERSONNEL INJURY SINCE THE SEAT BELT SIGN WAS OFF, AND A LEFT TURN WOULD HAVE FORCED US TO SHOVE THE NOSE OVER ABRUPTLY. I KNOW BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE VERY TIRED AFTER A LONG DAY PREVIOUS TO THIS ONE THAT CAUSED US TO GET MINIMUM CREW REST TIME. WE HAD A X:30 AM PICKUP TIME AND OUR CREW REST WAS DISTURBED BY EVENTS AT OUR HOTEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.