Narrative:

In cruise at FL330, 30 mi northwest flm, we were approaching an area of thunderstorms. We asked ZID to deviation south of the WX and our request was approved. As soon as we rolled out on a southeast heading, we broke out of the clouds and noticed that there were clearer skies and a bigger hole to our left. We then requested an east heading to go around the north side of the WX. ZID approved our request. We rolled out on a heading of approximately 100 degrees and determined that we might need to go further north. Just as we were about to ask for another left turn and while we were still on a 100 degree heading, ZID gave us instructions to 'descend immediately to FL290.' we complied with their instructions. Flight proceeded to destination and landed safely. However, when I got to my hotel room that afternoon, I received a call from a man who idented himself as FAA controller X with ZID who told me that there was a 'possible pilot deviation' on my flight and would I call the quality assurance manager for ZID. I called the number he gave me and spoke to FAA controller Y who idented himself as the quality assurance manager. Controller Y took my phone number and called me back about 10 mins later with the details of the alleged 'possible pilot deviation.' he told me that we came within 3.25 mi and 1100 ft of an air carrier Y jet. He also said that we asked for a specific heading (100 degrees) but the radar showed us tracking over the ground 067 degrees. We don't have ground tracking information on our airplane (B737-200) so I can only assume that while we were deviating around those thunderstorms, the wind must have been very strong to produce a ground track of 067 degrees out of a heading of 100 degrees. Also, I asked controller Y if my flight had been told by ZID not to turn further left than 100 degrees when we were deviating, and he admitted that we had not, in fact, been given such an instruction. Supplemental information from acn 339103: also the air carrier Y aircraft and several others in our vicinity were deviating at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG FAILED TO TURN TO THEIR REQUESTED HDG ASSIGNMENT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DEVIATE AROUND WX CAUSING LTSS WITH ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: IN CRUISE AT FL330, 30 MI NW FLM, WE WERE APCHING AN AREA OF TSTMS. WE ASKED ZID TO DEV S OF THE WX AND OUR REQUEST WAS APPROVED. AS SOON AS WE ROLLED OUT ON A SE HDG, WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND NOTICED THAT THERE WERE CLEARER SKIES AND A BIGGER HOLE TO OUR L. WE THEN REQUESTED AN E HDG TO GO AROUND THE N SIDE OF THE WX. ZID APPROVED OUR REQUEST. WE ROLLED OUT ON A HDG OF APPROX 100 DEGS AND DETERMINED THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO GO FURTHER N. JUST AS WE WERE ABOUT TO ASK FOR ANOTHER L TURN AND WHILE WE WERE STILL ON A 100 DEG HDG, ZID GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO 'DSND IMMEDIATELY TO FL290.' WE COMPLIED WITH THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. FLT PROCEEDED TO DEST AND LANDED SAFELY. HOWEVER, WHEN I GOT TO MY HOTEL ROOM THAT AFTERNOON, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A MAN WHO IDENTED HIMSELF AS FAA CTLR X WITH ZID WHO TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A 'POSSIBLE PLTDEV' ON MY FLT AND WOULD I CALL THE QUALITY ASSURANCE MGR FOR ZID. I CALLED THE NUMBER HE GAVE ME AND SPOKE TO FAA CTLR Y WHO IDENTED HIMSELF AS THE QUALITY ASSURANCE MGR. CTLR Y TOOK MY PHONE NUMBER AND CALLED ME BACK ABOUT 10 MINS LATER WITH THE DETAILS OF THE ALLEGED 'POSSIBLE PLTDEV.' HE TOLD ME THAT WE CAME WITHIN 3.25 MI AND 1100 FT OF AN ACR Y JET. HE ALSO SAID THAT WE ASKED FOR A SPECIFIC HDG (100 DEGS) BUT THE RADAR SHOWED US TRACKING OVER THE GND 067 DEGS. WE DON'T HAVE GND TRACKING INFO ON OUR AIRPLANE (B737-200) SO I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT WHILE WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND THOSE TSTMS, THE WIND MUST HAVE BEEN VERY STRONG TO PRODUCE A GND TRACK OF 067 DEGS OUT OF A HDG OF 100 DEGS. ALSO, I ASKED CTLR Y IF MY FLT HAD BEEN TOLD BY ZID NOT TO TURN FURTHER L THAN 100 DEGS WHEN WE WERE DEVIATING, AND HE ADMITTED THAT WE HAD NOT, IN FACT, BEEN GIVEN SUCH AN INSTRUCTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 339103: ALSO THE ACR Y ACFT AND SEVERAL OTHERS IN OUR VICINITY WERE DEVIATING AT THE TIME.

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.