Narrative:

Scheduled far 121 air carrier abc sea-phx. Aircraft at cruise FL330 proceeding direct to kimberley VOR as filed. I was PF , aircraft on autoplt. Aircraft weighed about 135000 pounds, therefore FL330 was our altitude limit. Seattle center told us to turn right 20 degrees for crossing traffic. It was about this time that a flight attendant called up front and the captain began speaking on the interphone. We were in VMC and saw aircraft crossing left to right (wbound). ATC reported this aircraft as descending through our altitude and directed us to turn left to 070 degrees and expedite turn. I used 25 degree bank angle, because new heading was nearly 90 degrees to left. Maximum turn available due to our weight and altitude. A boeing 757 was observed crossing left to right ahead of us at our altitude. We were VMC turning away from the 757, passing well clear. We heard 1 call to the other aircraft to expedite his descent. Even though he was still above us. Our TCASII gave a warning and an RA, but no vertical maneuver was taken due to our turning well clear horizontal. We were shortly told to resume our navigation to kimberley VOR. Approximately 10 mins later we were told to call ZSE on arrival by phone about a possible conflict. It seems ATC created a conflict by descending traffic through our altitude with insufficient horizontal distance to avoid a conflict. Contributing factors may have been: 1) cockpit distracted from radio momentarily by flight attendant call: 2) similar call sign on radio same air carrier abc, we may have missed a call: 3) at cruise on course you do not expect to need evasive action, as you might expect on descent and approach.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTSS AT HIGH ALT.

Narrative: SCHEDULED FAR 121 ACR ABC SEA-PHX. ACFT AT CRUISE FL330 PROCEEDING DIRECT TO KIMBERLEY VOR AS FILED. I WAS PF , ACFT ON AUTOPLT. ACFT WEIGHED ABOUT 135000 LBS, THEREFORE FL330 WAS OUR ALT LIMIT. SEATTLE CTR TOLD US TO TURN R 20 DEGS FOR XING TFC. IT WAS ABOUT THIS TIME THAT A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED UP FRONT AND THE CAPT BEGAN SPEAKING ON THE INTERPHONE. WE WERE IN VMC AND SAW ACFT XING L TO R (WBOUND). ATC RPTED THIS ACFT AS DSNDING THROUGH OUR ALT AND DIRECTED US TO TURN L TO 070 DEGS AND EXPEDITE TURN. I USED 25 DEG BANK ANGLE, BECAUSE NEW HDG WAS NEARLY 90 DEGS TO L. MAX TURN AVAILABLE DUE TO OUR WT AND ALT. A BOEING 757 WAS OBSERVED XING L TO R AHEAD OF US AT OUR ALT. WE WERE VMC TURNING AWAY FROM THE 757, PASSING WELL CLR. WE HEARD 1 CALL TO THE OTHER ACFT TO EXPEDITE HIS DSCNT. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS STILL ABOVE US. OUR TCASII GAVE A WARNING AND AN RA, BUT NO VERT MANEUVER WAS TAKEN DUE TO OUR TURNING WELL CLR HORIZ. WE WERE SHORTLY TOLD TO RESUME OUR NAV TO KIMBERLEY VOR. APPROX 10 MINS LATER WE WERE TOLD TO CALL ZSE ON ARR BY PHONE ABOUT A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. IT SEEMS ATC CREATED A CONFLICT BY DSNDING TFC THROUGH OUR ALT WITH INSUFFICIENT HORIZ DISTANCE TO AVOID A CONFLICT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS MAY HAVE BEEN: 1) COCKPIT DISTRACTED FROM RADIO MOMENTARILY BY FLT ATTENDANT CALL: 2) SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON RADIO SAME ACR ABC, WE MAY HAVE MISSED A CALL: 3) AT CRUISE ON COURSE YOU DO NOT EXPECT TO NEED EVASIVE ACTION, AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT ON DSCNT AND APCH.

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.