Narrative:

Air carrier X was issued a climb to 8000 ft. He asked me to repeat the altitude. I said (he was level at 7000 ft) one more thousand, 8000 ft. He read back 11000 ft and I missed the readback. There was another air carrier Y who became a factor who was opposite direction level at 10000 ft. Fortunately, I saw air carrier X break 9000 ft and stopped his climb although a little too late to maintain legal separation. TCASII never went off in either aircraft or at least no one reported nor reacted to an RA. Conflict alert never went off either. The number '8' for some reason has always been a problem for me and several other women as well. It gets misread far too often although when listened to on tape it sounds clear as can be. About 6 yrs ago, ZNY changed their parke frequency to a new frequency with an 8. 4 women in the sector filed a ucr because it caused so many readback errors and the frequency was eventually changed. Supplemental information from acn 250538: while level at 9000 ft during climb out phase, ny departure controller instructed us to climb to and maintain 11000 ft. The PF commenced climb. At 9400 ft the controller then instructed us level off at 9000 ft. At that moment the TCASII followed 'traffic.' the PF pushed over to descend (our altitude reached 9700 ft plus or minus). We both saw the approaching air carrier Y directly ahead at 2 mi plus or minus (160 degree reference crossing angle). The TCASII said 'climb, climb' but the descent had been started and with the traffic in sight, it was best. If we had been IMC, and TCASII followed after descent commenced, it might have been close. (Traffic at 10000 ft.) supplemental information from acn 250140: a contributing factor to this incident is of course the heavy traffic flow into and out of ny but along with this the controllers tend to rush. This lady was particularly hard to understand and when she spoke quickly, was next to impossible. Often the controllers, when rushed, don't wait for or listen to readbacks.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TCASII RA CLB THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X WAS ISSUED A CLB TO 8000 FT. HE ASKED ME TO REPEAT THE ALT. I SAID (HE WAS LEVEL AT 7000 FT) ONE MORE THOUSAND, 8000 FT. HE READ BACK 11000 FT AND I MISSED THE READBACK. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACR Y WHO BECAME A FACTOR WHO WAS OPPOSITE DIRECTION LEVEL AT 10000 FT. FORTUNATELY, I SAW ACR X BREAK 9000 FT AND STOPPED HIS CLB ALTHOUGH A LITTLE TOO LATE TO MAINTAIN LEGAL SEPARATION. TCASII NEVER WENT OFF IN EITHER ACFT OR AT LEAST NO ONE RPTED NOR REACTED TO AN RA. CONFLICT ALERT NEVER WENT OFF EITHER. THE NUMBER '8' FOR SOME REASON HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROB FOR ME AND SEVERAL OTHER WOMEN AS WELL. IT GETS MISREAD FAR TOO OFTEN ALTHOUGH WHEN LISTENED TO ON TAPE IT SOUNDS CLEAR AS CAN BE. ABOUT 6 YRS AGO, ZNY CHANGED THEIR PARKE FREQ TO A NEW FREQ WITH AN 8. 4 WOMEN IN THE SECTOR FILED A UCR BECAUSE IT CAUSED SO MANY READBACK ERRORS AND THE FREQ WAS EVENTUALLY CHANGED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 250538: WHILE LEVEL AT 9000 FT DURING CLBOUT PHASE, NY DEP CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT. THE PF COMMENCED CLB. AT 9400 FT THE CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED US LEVEL OFF AT 9000 FT. AT THAT MOMENT THE TCASII FOLLOWED 'TFC.' THE PF PUSHED OVER TO DSND (OUR ALT REACHED 9700 FT PLUS OR MINUS). WE BOTH SAW THE APCHING ACR Y DIRECTLY AHEAD AT 2 MI PLUS OR MINUS (160 DEG REF XING ANGLE). THE TCASII SAID 'CLB, CLB' BUT THE DSCNT HAD BEEN STARTED AND WITH THE TFC IN SIGHT, IT WAS BEST. IF WE HAD BEEN IMC, AND TCASII FOLLOWED AFTER DSCNT COMMENCED, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CLOSE. (TFC AT 10000 FT.) SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 250140: A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS INCIDENT IS OF COURSE THE HVY TFC FLOW INTO AND OUT OF NY BUT ALONG WITH THIS THE CTLRS TEND TO RUSH. THIS LADY WAS PARTICULARLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND AND WHEN SHE SPOKE QUICKLY, WAS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE. OFTEN THE CTLRS, WHEN RUSHED, DON'T WAIT FOR OR LISTEN TO READBACKS.

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.