Narrative:

After executing a missed approach to runway 18R at cvg due to severe turbulence and a windshear warning, I was flying a 185 degree heading at 3000 ft MSL assigned. Approximately 2-3 mi south of the airport tower gave me what I thought was a turn to 270 degrees. My copilot heard the same thing. He was working the radios and responded 270 degrees. I parroted 270 degrees per procedure. As soon as we rolled out on 270 degrees, tower gave me a climb to 5000 ft. During the climb, approximately 4200-4500 ft, TCASII activates and gives me a 'descend now' command. I immediately pushed it over, and the rj in conflict with us responds with a climb. Vertical separation was a minimum of 300 ft, lateral separation unknown, as we were completely IFR in heavy rain and moderate turbulence. Subsequent conversations with the tower revealed the tower controller heard us read back 270 degrees and made a decision to leave us on that heading, thinking it would expedite our next approach. He stated he had initially given us a 200 degree heading. The rj we were in conflict with was actually behind us. Due to the windshear gradients, his ground speed was actually higher than ours, though I believe we were both at 160 KIAS. He missed his approach as well. However, he turned to a 220 degree heading on direction of the tower. I believe what happened was caused by a combination of things. The WX was definitely a factor, causing a number of missed approachs, starting with mine. The tower controller was working departures on runway 18R and 27 simultaneously, as well as arrs on runway 18R. Throw in a couple of missed approachs and his workload suddenly increased greatly. I never felt we were in any danger from the RA, as I and the other pilot both responded positively. All TCASII advisories ceased in several seconds. The only problem was a misunderstanding between us and tower. We read back what we heard. If this wasn't correct, tower should have corrected us immediately.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A MISSED APCH DUE TO SEVERE TURB AND WINDSHEAR, RPTR RECEIVED A TCASII RA, WHICH THEY FOLLOWED. THERE WAS A POSSIBLE COM PROB IN UNDERSTANDING THE TWR HEADING INSTRUCTIONS THAT CONTRIBUTED. BUT, BECAUSE OF THE UNUSUAL WINDSHEAR GRADIENTS, THE TRAILING ACFT ACTUALLY SPED UP SO MUCH TO CONFLICT WITH RPTR ACFT.

Narrative: AFTER EXECUTING A MISSED APCH TO RWY 18R AT CVG DUE TO SEVERE TURB AND A WINDSHEAR WARNING, I WAS FLYING A 185 DEG HDG AT 3000 FT MSL ASSIGNED. APPROX 2-3 MI S OF THE ARPT TWR GAVE ME WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A TURN TO 270 DEGS. MY COPLT HEARD THE SAME THING. HE WAS WORKING THE RADIOS AND RESPONDED 270 DEGS. I PARROTED 270 DEGS PER PROC. AS SOON AS WE ROLLED OUT ON 270 DEGS, TWR GAVE ME A CLB TO 5000 FT. DURING THE CLB, APPROX 4200-4500 FT, TCASII ACTIVATES AND GIVES ME A 'DSND NOW' COMMAND. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED IT OVER, AND THE RJ IN CONFLICT WITH US RESPONDS WITH A CLB. VERT SEPARATION WAS A MINIMUM OF 300 FT, LATERAL SEPARATION UNKNOWN, AS WE WERE COMPLETELY IFR IN HVY RAIN AND MODERATE TURB. SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TWR REVEALED THE TWR CTLR HEARD US READ BACK 270 DEGS AND MADE A DECISION TO LEAVE US ON THAT HEADING, THINKING IT WOULD EXPEDITE OUR NEXT APCH. HE STATED HE HAD INITIALLY GIVEN US A 200 DEG HDG. THE RJ WE WERE IN CONFLICT WITH WAS ACTUALLY BEHIND US. DUE TO THE WINDSHEAR GRADIENTS, HIS GND SPD WAS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN OURS, THOUGH I BELIEVE WE WERE BOTH AT 160 KIAS. HE MISSED HIS APCH AS WELL. HOWEVER, HE TURNED TO A 220 DEG HDG ON DIRECTION OF THE TWR. I BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED WAS CAUSED BY A COMBINATION OF THINGS. THE WX WAS DEFINITELY A FACTOR, CAUSING A NUMBER OF MISSED APCHS, STARTING WITH MINE. THE TWR CTLR WAS WORKING DEPS ON RWY 18R AND 27 SIMULTANEOUSLY, AS WELL AS ARRS ON RWY 18R. THROW IN A COUPLE OF MISSED APCHS AND HIS WORKLOAD SUDDENLY INCREASED GREATLY. I NEVER FELT WE WERE IN ANY DANGER FROM THE RA, AS I AND THE OTHER PLT BOTH RESPONDED POSITIVELY. ALL TCASII ADVISORIES CEASED IN SEVERAL SECONDS. THE ONLY PROB WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING BTWN US AND TWR. WE READ BACK WHAT WE HEARD. IF THIS WASN'T CORRECT, TWR SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED US IMMEDIATELY.

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.