Narrative:

We were swbound on J-209 over the vills intersection turning towards the salisbury VOR. About this time I received a TA from the TCASII system. The traffic was at 11 O'clock 2 mi and 1000 ft above us. Why this would produce a TA warning I don't know. At the same time ATC, or so I thought, gave us a climb to 29000 ft. But as it turned out they were just giving us traffic at FL290. I can't believe what I did next. I actually started to climb. The first officer said 'where are you going?' then I realized that I had misunderstood what ATC said. Fortunately I was able to stop the climb at FL28.2. Just 200 ft off of my altitude of FL280. I immediately returned to FL280. The whole transgression and return to FL280 probably only took 10 seconds, but it produced an RA command to descend, which I was already doing. Again, if the other aircraft was at his altitude, why did I get the RA command? Since to get an RA you have to be within 600 ft of each other, which we weren't and climbing. The mistake was caused by the original 'TA' and the ATC traffic advisory coming at the same time. I thought they wanted us to climb because of the traffic. In other words, I got confused. I can't believe I did it. Interestingly enough, as it turned out, our altitude incursion was so brief and the altitude gained was so short, that I don't think it set off the ATC alarm at the center.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT CAPT GETS CONFUSED BY TCASII TA FALSE WARNING AND TA GIVEN AND INSTITUTES AN UNAUTHORIZED CLB TOWARDS OCCUPIED ALT.

Narrative: WE WERE SWBOUND ON J-209 OVER THE VILLS INTXN TURNING TOWARDS THE SALISBURY VOR. ABOUT THIS TIME I RECEIVED A TA FROM THE TCASII SYS. THE TFC WAS AT 11 O'CLOCK 2 MI AND 1000 FT ABOVE US. WHY THIS WOULD PRODUCE A TA WARNING I DON'T KNOW. AT THE SAME TIME ATC, OR SO I THOUGHT, GAVE US A CLB TO 29000 FT. BUT AS IT TURNED OUT THEY WERE JUST GIVING US TFC AT FL290. I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I DID NEXT. I ACTUALLY STARTED TO CLB. THE FO SAID 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' THEN I REALIZED THAT I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT ATC SAID. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CLB AT FL28.2. JUST 200 FT OFF OF MY ALT OF FL280. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO FL280. THE WHOLE TRANSGRESSION AND RETURN TO FL280 PROBABLY ONLY TOOK 10 SECONDS, BUT IT PRODUCED AN RA COMMAND TO DSND, WHICH I WAS ALREADY DOING. AGAIN, IF THE OTHER ACFT WAS AT HIS ALT, WHY DID I GET THE RA COMMAND? SINCE TO GET AN RA YOU HAVE TO BE WITHIN 600 FT OF EACH OTHER, WHICH WE WEREN'T AND CLBING. THE MISTAKE WAS CAUSED BY THE ORIGINAL 'TA' AND THE ATC TFC ADVISORY COMING AT THE SAME TIME. I THOUGHT THEY WANTED US TO CLB BECAUSE OF THE TFC. IN OTHER WORDS, I GOT CONFUSED. I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID IT. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, AS IT TURNED OUT, OUR ALT INCURSION WAS SO BRIEF AND THE ALT GAINED WAS SO SHORT, THAT I DON'T THINK IT SET OFF THE ATC ALARM AT THE CTR.

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.