Narrative:

Air carrier X was cleared by sju or perhaps piarco center from FL310 to FL350 following an earlier request for higher. We acknowledged cleared to FL350. Air carrier X made position reports on high frequency radio to new york at the following chkpoints: toton, pisax lopps, bermuda, targa and received al SELCAL check on initial new york contact. Additional VHF were given to bermuda radio 128.5. All HF (8846) and VHF reports were standard format including FL350 and acknowledged: radio reception was fair to good. While monitoring bermuda another flight called (128.5) and told us 'new york has lost your SELCAL, contact them 8846' which we did, reconfirming our lopps estimate and FL350. New york reply, are you at FL310 or FL350? Air carrier X: FL350. New york reply: who cleared you to FL350? Air carrier X: piarco or sju. Do you want us at FL310? New york reply: maintain FL350. Seemingly no problem. What makes me think something may have gone wrong is earlier air carrier X received a traffic alert on TCASII at FL350 at latitude north 2501/longitude west 6244, with confirmed FL350 traffic closing from right front and passing behind us. No evasive action was taken in that all 3 crew members had good visual of traffic at 1-2 mi passing behind us. Although we made numerous FL350 position reports as mentioned above I can't help but wonder if center believed we were at FL310. Supplemental information from acn 230028: air carrier X while cruising at FL350 on A632 between pisax and lopps received a TA on TCASII, followed immediately by an RA calling for immediate descent. Traffic was sighted visually with TCASII TA. No maneuver required, nor performed. Air carrier Y, widebody transport, passed off our right side, same altitude, 1-2 mi. We were working arinc. Arinc subsequently asked how long we had been at FL350! Also, arinc stated they had 'lost' our SELCAL code. Believe problem caused by ATC or other aircraft at incorrect altitude. We had previously been cleared to FL350 and had made several position reports at FL350. Communications in area are terrible at times. Arinc doesn't always have big picture.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TCASII TA RA HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR. ACR X NON COMPLIANCE WITH TCASII RA ACR Y SIGHTED VISUALLY.

Narrative: ACR X WAS CLRED BY SJU OR PERHAPS PIARCO CTR FROM FL310 TO FL350 FOLLOWING AN EARLIER REQUEST FOR HIGHER. WE ACKNOWLEDGED CLRED TO FL350. ACR X MADE POS RPTS ON HIGH FREQ RADIO TO NEW YORK AT THE FOLLOWING CHKPOINTS: TOTON, PISAX LOPPS, BERMUDA, TARGA AND RECEIVED AL SELCAL CHK ON INITIAL NEW YORK CONTACT. ADDITIONAL VHF WERE GIVEN TO BERMUDA RADIO 128.5. ALL HF (8846) AND VHF RPTS WERE STANDARD FORMAT INCLUDING FL350 AND ACKNOWLEDGED: RADIO RECEPTION WAS FAIR TO GOOD. WHILE MONITORING BERMUDA ANOTHER FLT CALLED (128.5) AND TOLD US 'NEW YORK HAS LOST YOUR SELCAL, CONTACT THEM 8846' WHICH WE DID, RECONFIRMING OUR LOPPS ESTIMATE AND FL350. NEW YORK REPLY, ARE YOU AT FL310 OR FL350? ACR X: FL350. NEW YORK REPLY: WHO CLRED YOU TO FL350? ACR X: PIARCO OR SJU. DO YOU WANT US AT FL310? NEW YORK REPLY: MAINTAIN FL350. SEEMINGLY NO PROB. WHAT MAKES ME THINK SOMETHING MAY HAVE GONE WRONG IS EARLIER ACR X RECEIVED A TFC ALERT ON TCASII AT FL350 AT LATITUDE N 2501/LONGITUDE W 6244, WITH CONFIRMED FL350 TFC CLOSING FROM R FRONT AND PASSING BEHIND US. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN IN THAT ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS HAD GOOD VISUAL OF TFC AT 1-2 MI PASSING BEHIND US. ALTHOUGH WE MADE NUMEROUS FL350 POS RPTS AS MENTIONED ABOVE I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF CTR BELIEVED WE WERE AT FL310. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 230028: ACR X WHILE CRUISING AT FL350 ON A632 BTWN PISAX AND LOPPS RECEIVED A TA ON TCASII, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY AN RA CALLING FOR IMMEDIATE DSCNT. TFC WAS SIGHTED VISUALLY WITH TCASII TA. NO MANEUVER REQUIRED, NOR PERFORMED. ACR Y, WDB, PASSED OFF OUR R SIDE, SAME ALT, 1-2 MI. WE WERE WORKING ARINC. ARINC SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED HOW LONG WE HAD BEEN AT FL350! ALSO, ARINC STATED THEY HAD 'LOST' OUR SELCAL CODE. BELIEVE PROB CAUSED BY ATC OR OTHER ACFT AT INCORRECT ALT. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CLRED TO FL350 AND HAD MADE SEVERAL POS RPTS AT FL350. COMS IN AREA ARE TERRIBLE AT TIMES. ARINC DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE BIG PICTURE.

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.