Narrative:

Air carrier X departed dtw runway 21C en route to dca. Climb out xmissions from dtw departure control first directed air carrier X to, 'maintain 250 KTS or less.' then, 'come left to 130 degrees' on the second transmission as aircraft climbed through 8000 for 10000'. Once level at 10000' MSL, controller direct, 'northwest 12 north, come left to 090 degrees and intersect dxo 108 degree right.' several seconds later the controller transmitted, 'air carrier X, climb and maintain 1-3-thousand.' the first officer replied, 'air carrier X climbing to 13-thousand.' following the reply transmission there was 1-2 seconds of silence followed by the controller giving directions to another aircraft. The captain pointed at the altitude warning indicator as the first officer dialed in 13000' and both crew members verbally stated, '1-3-thousand.' air carrier X resumed its climb leaving 10000' and several seconds later the first officer looked up to his 12 O'clock position at 2-3 NM and saw air carrier Y, slightly above air carrier X. At this time the 2 aircraft appeared to have a track crossing angle of 170-180 degrees. Air carrier Y appeared to be in a descent. 2-3 seconds after the first officer's sighting, air carrier Y entered a left turn (10-20 degrees aob), which removed both aircraft from what appeared to be a 'constant bearing, decreasing range' situation. Air carrier X passed air carrier Y in a right to right pass, with 5000-7000' of horizontal sep and 600-700' of vertical sep. I told the captain, 'I need to check on our climb clearance. Air carrier Y just passed down our right side.' the first officer transmitted, 'departure verify the altitude clearance for air carrier X.' the controller came back and stated, 'climb and maintain 1-3-thousand.' after landing at dca, the crew of air carrier X called detroit ATC on the phone. FAA supervisor indicated the controller was saturated at the time of the incident, and that the critical point in time of the radio transmission giving clearance to air carrier X to climb to 13000', there were 1-2 blocked xmissions. The crew of air carrier X never heard anything that resembled simultaneous xmissions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated he had received notice from FAA that the incident was under investigation and a pilot deviation had taken place. Reporter stated a company aircraft with a similar # was on the frequency at the time of the incident. He also said air carrier Y had taken evasive action on their own. The FAA supervisor, during flight crew-ATC review, stated there was not a readback of altitude from air carrier X. It was probably blocked by another aircraft. Simultaneous xmissions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM ACR Y.

Narrative: ACR X DEPARTED DTW RWY 21C ENRTE TO DCA. CLBOUT XMISSIONS FROM DTW DEP CTL FIRST DIRECTED ACR X TO, 'MAINTAIN 250 KTS OR LESS.' THEN, 'COME LEFT TO 130 DEGS' ON THE SECOND XMISSION AS ACFT CLBED THROUGH 8000 FOR 10000'. ONCE LEVEL AT 10000' MSL, CTLR DIRECT, 'NW 12 N, COME LEFT TO 090 DEGS AND INTERSECT DXO 108 DEG R.' SEVERAL SECS LATER THE CTLR XMITTED, 'ACR X, CLB AND MAINTAIN 1-3-THOUSAND.' THE F/O REPLIED, 'ACR X CLBING TO 13-THOUSAND.' FOLLOWING THE REPLY XMISSION THERE WAS 1-2 SECS OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE CTLR GIVING DIRECTIONS TO ANOTHER ACFT. THE CAPT POINTED AT THE ALT WARNING INDICATOR AS THE F/O DIALED IN 13000' AND BOTH CREW MEMBERS VERBALLY STATED, '1-3-THOUSAND.' ACR X RESUMED ITS CLB LEAVING 10000' AND SEVERAL SECS LATER THE F/O LOOKED UP TO HIS 12 O'CLOCK POS AT 2-3 NM AND SAW ACR Y, SLIGHTLY ABOVE ACR X. AT THIS TIME THE 2 ACFT APPEARED TO HAVE A TRACK XING ANGLE OF 170-180 DEGS. ACR Y APPEARED TO BE IN A DSNT. 2-3 SECS AFTER THE F/O'S SIGHTING, ACR Y ENTERED A LEFT TURN (10-20 DEGS AOB), WHICH REMOVED BOTH ACFT FROM WHAT APPEARED TO BE A 'CONSTANT BEARING, DECREASING RANGE' SITUATION. ACR X PASSED ACR Y IN A RIGHT TO RIGHT PASS, WITH 5000-7000' OF HORIZ SEP AND 600-700' OF VERT SEP. I TOLD THE CAPT, 'I NEED TO CHK ON OUR CLB CLRNC. ACR Y JUST PASSED DOWN OUR RIGHT SIDE.' THE F/O XMITTED, 'DEP VERIFY THE ALT CLRNC FOR ACR X.' THE CTLR CAME BACK AND STATED, 'CLB AND MAINTAIN 1-3-THOUSAND.' AFTER LNDG AT DCA, THE CREW OF ACR X CALLED DETROIT ATC ON THE PHONE. FAA SUPVR INDICATED THE CTLR WAS SATURATED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, AND THAT THE CRITICAL POINT IN TIME OF THE RADIO XMISSION GIVING CLRNC TO ACR X TO CLB TO 13000', THERE WERE 1-2 BLOCKED XMISSIONS. THE CREW OF ACR X NEVER HEARD ANYTHING THAT RESEMBLED SIMULTANEOUS XMISSIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED HE HAD RECEIVED NOTICE FROM FAA THAT THE INCIDENT WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND A PLT DEVIATION HAD TAKEN PLACE. RPTR STATED A COMPANY ACFT WITH A SIMILAR # WAS ON THE FREQ AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. HE ALSO SAID ACR Y HAD TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION ON THEIR OWN. THE FAA SUPVR, DURING FLT CREW-ATC REVIEW, STATED THERE WAS NOT A READBACK OF ALT FROM ACR X. IT WAS PROBABLY BLOCKED BY ANOTHER ACFT. SIMULTANEOUS XMISSIONS.

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.