Narrative:

I am a first officer flying for name airlines. We were flying from grand rapids, mi, to cleveland, oh, and had been handed off from cleveland center to cleveland approach. Approach assigned a 240 degree heading and advised to expect ILS 5R. Approach later assigns a 040 degree heading. My captain sets our heading bug to 040 degree while at the same time I repeated to cleveland approach left 040 degree for air carrier X. As we are turning pass 070 degree for a 040 degree heading, I informed the captain it appears that one of our company's large transport Y is approaching us head-on. I proceeded to key the microphone to inquire on the status of our company large transport with approach. At this time approach was calling us requesting to know what heading we were presently flying. I informed him we were turning to a 040 degree heading which he had assigned. Approach advised us that we were not assigned a 040 degree heading and we were approaching a company large transport. But, at no time was it necessary for us or our company large transport to take evasive action. At this time approach assigned us a new heading and eventually vectored us for the approach. I feel that a factor that greatly contributed to this event is congested and heavy workload during this peak time period everyday.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT BEGINS A TURN IN WHAT FLC BELIEVES IS AN ATC CLRNC AND COMES IN CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER ACFT. ATC ADVISES THAT NO TURN WAS ISSUED. PLTDEV.

Narrative: I AM A FO FLYING FOR NAME AIRLINES. WE WERE FLYING FROM GRAND RAPIDS, MI, TO CLEVELAND, OH, AND HAD BEEN HANDED OFF FROM CLEVELAND CTR TO CLEVELAND APCH. APCH ASSIGNED A 240 DEG HDG AND ADVISED TO EXPECT ILS 5R. APCH LATER ASSIGNS A 040 DEG HDG. MY CAPT SETS OUR HDG BUG TO 040 DEG WHILE AT THE SAME TIME I REPEATED TO CLEVELAND APCH L 040 DEG FOR ACR X. AS WE ARE TURNING PASS 070 DEG FOR A 040 DEG HDG, I INFORMED THE CAPT IT APPEARS THAT ONE OF OUR COMPANY'S LGT Y IS APCHING US HEAD-ON. I PROCEEDED TO KEY THE MIC TO INQUIRE ON THE STATUS OF OUR COMPANY LGT WITH APCH. AT THIS TIME APCH WAS CALLING US REQUESTING TO KNOW WHAT HDG WE WERE PRESENTLY FLYING. I INFORMED HIM WE WERE TURNING TO A 040 DEG HDG WHICH HE HAD ASSIGNED. APCH ADVISED US THAT WE WERE NOT ASSIGNED A 040 DEG HDG AND WE WERE APCHING A COMPANY LGT. BUT, AT NO TIME WAS IT NECESSARY FOR US OR OUR COMPANY LGT TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. AT THIS TIME APCH ASSIGNED US A NEW HDG AND EVENTUALLY VECTORED US FOR THE APCH. I FEEL THAT A FACTOR THAT GREATLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT IS CONGESTED AND HVY WORKLOAD DURING THIS PEAK TIME PERIOD EVERYDAY.

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.