Narrative:

Air carrier X climbing out of dtw on a 050 degree heading and cleared to 10000 ft, first officer flying, the captain noticed an A-320 airbus at the 9 O'clock position, similar altitude. Both aircraft were above an overcast, in the clear. The TCASII issued a TA indicating the intruder 400 ft above. The first officer began a level-off to maintain altitude separation below the intruder and to maintain visual contact. Radio contact was not established with the departure controller at this point because of frequency congestion. A noisy captain's windscreen also made communication more difficult. The intruder aircraft began a turn toward our aircraft, and the TCASII issued an RA instruction to monitor vertical speed, and then to climb. The captain said to comply with the TCASII and the first officer resumed the climb. At this point, the A-320 was at approximately the 12 O'clock position and initiating a descent. The point of minimum horizontal separation seemed to be at least 1000 ft. Since we were able to maintain visual separation, there was no danger of a collision. Radio contact with departure control was not established until after the encounter because of the frequency congestion. At that time we were advised to check transponder set to XX13. It was inadvertently set to XX31. I recall double-checking the code set with the pre departure clearance on ACARS prior to takeoff. Evidently, I twice transposed the digits in my mind. Neither of the other 2 pilots caught the error either, although company policy is to have it crosschecked. The A-320 departed runway 3L assigned heading 030 degrees (according to the dtw ATC supervisor we telephoned after arrival in nashville). Our aircraft departed 3C assigned heading 050 degrees. The incident stressed to me the importance of setting the transponder code correctly. Supplemental information from acn 285142: while climbing out of dtw on a 050 degree heading, cleared to 10000 ft. The first officer flying, the captain noticed an A-320 aircraft at 9 O'clock position, similar altitude. The TCASII issued a TA indicating the intruder 400 ft above. The first officer began a level off to maintain altitude separation below the intruder and maintain visual contact. Radio contact was not established with the departure controller because of frequency congestion. A noisy capts windscreen also made communication more difficult. The intruder aircraft began a turn toward our aircraft, and the TCASII issued an RA instruction to monitor vertical speed, and then to climb. The captain said to comply with the TCASII and the first officer resumed the climb. At this point the intruder was at approximately the 12 O'clock position and initiating a descent. The conflict occurred above an overcast in VMC. The point of min horizontal separation seemed to be at least 1000 ft. Since we were able to maintain visual separation. There was no danger of collision. Radio contact with departure control was not established until after the encounter because of the frequency congestion. At that time, we were advised to check transponder code set to XY13. It was inadvertently set to XY31. A subsequent telephone call to dtw ATC supervisor revealed that the A-320 departed runway 3L assigned heading 030 degrees. Our aircraft departed 3C assigned heading 050 degrees.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC TCASII RA HAD LTSS FROM A-320 EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN.

Narrative: ACR X CLBING OUT OF DTW ON A 050 DEG HDG AND CLRED TO 10000 FT, FO FLYING, THE CAPT NOTICED AN A-320 AIRBUS AT THE 9 O'CLOCK POS, SIMILAR ALT. BOTH ACFT WERE ABOVE AN OVCST, IN THE CLR. THE TCASII ISSUED A TA INDICATING THE INTRUDER 400 FT ABOVE. THE FO BEGAN A LEVEL-OFF TO MAINTAIN ALT SEPARATION BELOW THE INTRUDER AND TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT. RADIO CONTACT WAS NOT ESTABLISHED WITH THE DEP CTLR AT THIS POINT BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION. A NOISY CAPT'S WINDSCREEN ALSO MADE COM MORE DIFFICULT. THE INTRUDER ACFT BEGAN A TURN TOWARD OUR ACFT, AND THE TCASII ISSUED AN RA INSTRUCTION TO MONITOR VERT SPD, AND THEN TO CLB. THE CAPT SAID TO COMPLY WITH THE TCASII AND THE FO RESUMED THE CLB. AT THIS POINT, THE A-320 WAS AT APPROX THE 12 O'CLOCK POS AND INITIATING A DSCNT. THE POINT OF MINIMUM HORIZ SEPARATION SEEMED TO BE AT LEAST 1000 FT. SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION, THERE WAS NO DANGER OF A COLLISION. RADIO CONTACT WITH DEP CTL WAS NOT ESTABLISHED UNTIL AFTER THE ENCOUNTER BECAUSE OF THE FREQ CONGESTION. AT THAT TIME WE WERE ADVISED TO CHK XPONDER SET TO XX13. IT WAS INADVERTENTLY SET TO XX31. I RECALL DOUBLE-CHKING THE CODE SET WITH THE PDC ON ACARS PRIOR TO TKOF. EVIDENTLY, I TWICE TRANSPOSED THE DIGITS IN MY MIND. NEITHER OF THE OTHER 2 PLTS CAUGHT THE ERROR EITHER, ALTHOUGH COMPANY POLICY IS TO HAVE IT XCHKED. THE A-320 DEPARTED RWY 3L ASSIGNED HDG 030 DEGS (ACCORDING TO THE DTW ATC SUPVR WE TELEPHONED AFTER ARR IN NASHVILLE). OUR ACFT DEPARTED 3C ASSIGNED HDG 050 DEGS. THE INCIDENT STRESSED TO ME THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING THE TRANSPONDER CODE CORRECTLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 285142: WHILE CLBING OUT OF DTW ON A 050 DEG HDG, CLRED TO 10000 FT. THE FO FLYING, THE CAPT NOTICED AN A-320 ACFT AT 9 O'CLOCK POS, SIMILAR ALT. THE TCASII ISSUED A TA INDICATING THE INTRUDER 400 FT ABOVE. THE FO BEGAN A LEVEL OFF TO MAINTAIN ALT SEPARATION BELOW THE INTRUDER AND MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT. RADIO CONTACT WAS NOT ESTABLISHED WITH THE DEP CTLR BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION. A NOISY CAPTS WINDSCREEN ALSO MADE COM MORE DIFFICULT. THE INTRUDER ACFT BEGAN A TURN TOWARD OUR ACFT, AND THE TCASII ISSUED AN RA INSTRUCTION TO MONITOR VERT SPD, AND THEN TO CLB. THE CAPT SAID TO COMPLY WITH THE TCASII AND THE FO RESUMED THE CLB. AT THIS POINT THE INTRUDER WAS AT APPROX THE 12 O'CLOCK POS AND INITIATING A DSCNT. THE CONFLICT OCCURRED ABOVE AN OVCST IN VMC. THE POINT OF MIN HORIZ SEPARATION SEEMED TO BE AT LEAST 1000 FT. SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. THERE WAS NO DANGER OF COLLISION. RADIO CONTACT WITH DEP CTL WAS NOT ESTABLISHED UNTIL AFTER THE ENCOUNTER BECAUSE OF THE FREQ CONGESTION. AT THAT TIME, WE WERE ADVISED TO CHK XPONDER CODE SET TO XY13. IT WAS INADVERTENTLY SET TO XY31. A SUBSEQUENT TELEPHONE CALL TO DTW ATC SUPVR REVEALED THAT THE A-320 DEPARTED RWY 3L ASSIGNED HDG 030 DEGS. OUR ACFT DEPARTED 3C ASSIGNED HDG 050 DEGS.

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.