Narrative:

My initial clearance was cleared as filed: 'maintain 2000', expect 7000' 10 mins after, contact departure on 120.65, squawk XXXX, right turn after departure to 180 degrees.' I was soon cleared to 5000' by approach. On my way to 5000', approach cleared me to 7000'. During my climb to 5000' I asked approach if I could maintain 5000' as a final. I did not receive a response, so I continued my climb toward my assigned altitude of 7000'. I believe I was turned over to center after passing 5000'. Either approach or center informed me of opp direction traffic at 6000'. I acknowledged negative contact, looking. I cannot recall receiving a revised clearance from approach to maintain 5000' at center's request after I had received clearance to maintain 7000'. I was now in and out of the clouds. The next transmission I can recall from center was rapid and unclear. I requested a repeat and they responded: 'turn left to 090, descend and maintain 5000' immediately.' I acknowledged and made an immediate turn to 090 degrees and started a rapid descent out of 5700 to 5000'. I heard center give a left turn to the opp direction traffic. I was informed by center that there was a possible altitude clearance deviation, and that their collision alert system triggered an alarm automatically. I was given a phone # to call center upon landing. Perhaps the revised clearance to maintain 5000' at center's request, which I cannot recall receiving, came just prior to my unanswered request to maintain 5000' as a final, and approach read my transmission as an acknowledgement of receiving their revised clearance to maintain 5000'. If center was aware of a revised clearance by approach to maintain 5000' at center's request, why did center wait until the collision alert alarm sounded to give me an immediate left turn to 090 degrees and descent to 5000'? Perhaps center also thought my clearance was still 7000'. The right seat was occupied by a licensed pilot wearing a headset. He is preparing a letter relating his interpretation of the xmissions and clrncs from ATC. In summary, I believe that the altitude deviation was due to communication problems. I do not believe I received the revised clearance to 5000' and I believe approach interpreted my request to maintain 5000' as a final as acknowledgement of their prior clearance for me to maintain 5000'. Furthermore, in view of the report of opp direction traffic at 6000', center should have watched me more closely and contacted me long before I reached 5700'. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter requested tapes. Tampa tapes received in a few days. Mia took 1 month and 2 additional phone calls. Reporter notes mia tapes extremely poor quality, much background noise and difficult to understand. Not very conclusive, but indicate possible radio problem. Conversation occurring between approach and center with center controller making some very unprofessional comments. No further communication from FAA at this time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR FLT PLAN HAS CLOSE PROX OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC.

Narrative: MY INITIAL CLRNC WAS CLRED AS FILED: 'MAINTAIN 2000', EXPECT 7000' 10 MINS AFTER, CONTACT DEP ON 120.65, SQUAWK XXXX, RIGHT TURN AFTER DEP TO 180 DEGS.' I WAS SOON CLRED TO 5000' BY APCH. ON MY WAY TO 5000', APCH CLRED ME TO 7000'. DURING MY CLB TO 5000' I ASKED APCH IF I COULD MAINTAIN 5000' AS A FINAL. I DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE, SO I CONTINUED MY CLB TOWARD MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000'. I BELIEVE I WAS TURNED OVER TO CENTER AFTER PASSING 5000'. EITHER APCH OR CENTER INFORMED ME OF OPP DIRECTION TFC AT 6000'. I ACKNOWLEDGED NEGATIVE CONTACT, LOOKING. I CANNOT RECALL RECEIVING A REVISED CLRNC FROM APCH TO MAINTAIN 5000' AT CENTER'S REQUEST AFTER I HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 7000'. I WAS NOW IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS. THE NEXT XMISSION I CAN RECALL FROM CENTER WAS RAPID AND UNCLEAR. I REQUESTED A REPEAT AND THEY RESPONDED: 'TURN LEFT TO 090, DSND AND MAINTAIN 5000' IMMEDIATELY.' I ACKNOWLEDGED AND MADE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 090 DEGS AND STARTED A RAPID DSNT OUT OF 5700 TO 5000'. I HEARD CENTER GIVE A LEFT TURN TO THE OPP DIRECTION TFC. I WAS INFORMED BY CENTER THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE ALT CLRNC DEVIATION, AND THAT THEIR COLLISION ALERT SYS TRIGGERED AN ALARM AUTOMATICALLY. I WAS GIVEN A PHONE # TO CALL CENTER UPON LNDG. PERHAPS THE REVISED CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 5000' AT CENTER'S REQUEST, WHICH I CANNOT RECALL RECEIVING, CAME JUST PRIOR TO MY UNANSWERED REQUEST TO MAINTAIN 5000' AS A FINAL, AND APCH READ MY XMISSION AS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIVING THEIR REVISED CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 5000'. IF CENTER WAS AWARE OF A REVISED CLRNC BY APCH TO MAINTAIN 5000' AT CENTER'S REQUEST, WHY DID CENTER WAIT UNTIL THE COLLISION ALERT ALARM SOUNDED TO GIVE ME AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN TO 090 DEGS AND DSNT TO 5000'? PERHAPS CENTER ALSO THOUGHT MY CLRNC WAS STILL 7000'. THE RIGHT SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY A LICENSED PLT WEARING A HEADSET. HE IS PREPARING A LETTER RELATING HIS INTERP OF THE XMISSIONS AND CLRNCS FROM ATC. IN SUMMARY, I BELIEVE THAT THE ALT DEVIATION WAS DUE TO COM PROBS. I DO NOT BELIEVE I RECEIVED THE REVISED CLRNC TO 5000' AND I BELIEVE APCH INTERPRETED MY REQUEST TO MAINTAIN 5000' AS A FINAL AS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THEIR PRIOR CLRNC FOR ME TO MAINTAIN 5000'. FURTHERMORE, IN VIEW OF THE RPT OF OPP DIRECTION TFC AT 6000', CENTER SHOULD HAVE WATCHED ME MORE CLOSELY AND CONTACTED ME LONG BEFORE I REACHED 5700'. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR REQUESTED TAPES. TAMPA TAPES RECEIVED IN A FEW DAYS. MIA TOOK 1 MONTH AND 2 ADDITIONAL PHONE CALLS. RPTR NOTES MIA TAPES EXTREMELY POOR QUALITY, MUCH BACKGROUND NOISE AND DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. NOT VERY CONCLUSIVE, BUT INDICATE POSSIBLE RADIO PROB. CONVERSATION OCCURRING BTWN APCH AND CENTER WITH CENTER CTLR MAKING SOME VERY UNPROFESSIONAL COMMENTS. NO FURTHER COM FROM FAA AT THIS TIME.

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.