Jet air carrier crew climbing from FL290 to FL350 vicinity of air, oh, receive TA from ZOB controlle...

Attributes
ACN	410267
Time
Date	199808
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : air
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	410267
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	410270
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30000 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Time: XA20Z, aug/xa/98. Flight climbed (and cleared) from FL290 to FL350. Climbing through approximately FL340, ATC (ZOB) issued traffic 3 O'clock position, 5 mi. We had traffic in sight, started to question him (ATC) when he said turn 15 degrees left, descend to FL330. We started down at FL340. He said level at FL340. We did. He then cleared us to FL330. He said he thought he had originally cleared us to FL330, not FL350. We (captain and first officer) both heard FL350, responded FL350, and were climbing to FL350. Traffic never closer than 5 mi and also in sight. ZOB frequency. Supplemental information from acn 410270. Flight left phl approximately XA20Z. Was cleared to climb from FL290 to FL350 by ZOB. Crew responded that we were cleared to FL350 and ATC controller took no exception. Both captain and first officer agreed they had heard FL350 and set it in altitude window of FMC and began autoplt climb. Climbing through FL340, controller reported traffic at 3 O'clock position, 5 mi. We reported traffic in sight, but he was also at FL350. We knew this was wrong, since we both couldn't be at FL350 and stopped our climb around FL345 and waited for a break in the radio traffic to ask our controller what he really wanted us to do. Before we could ask, he said he showed us at FL345 and we responded yes we were cleared to FL350. He said he thought he had cleared us to FL330. He issued us a 15 degree left turn and told us to maintain FL340. We maintained the other traffic in sight the whole time and never got closer than 5 mi. ATC then cleared us to FL330. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. Both captain and first officer had no doubt we were cleared to FL350. We suspect that the controller either misspoke when giving us our clearance or just made a mistake and cleared us to a wrong altitude. The tapes should make this clear.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JET ACR CREW CLBING FROM FL290 TO FL350 VICINITY OF AIR, OH, RECEIVE TA FROM ZOB CTLR ON TFC AT FL350. CREW STOPPED CLB AT FL345 AND TFC. CTLR BELIEVED HE HAD CLRED THE FLT TO FL330.

Narrative: TIME: XA20Z, AUG/XA/98. FLT CLBED (AND CLRED) FROM FL290 TO FL350. CLBING THROUGH APPROX FL340, ATC (ZOB) ISSUED TFC 3 O'CLOCK POS, 5 MI. WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT, STARTED TO QUESTION HIM (ATC) WHEN HE SAID TURN 15 DEGS L, DSND TO FL330. WE STARTED DOWN AT FL340. HE SAID LEVEL AT FL340. WE DID. HE THEN CLRED US TO FL330. HE SAID HE THOUGHT HE HAD ORIGINALLY CLRED US TO FL330, NOT FL350. WE (CAPT AND FO) BOTH HEARD FL350, RESPONDED FL350, AND WERE CLBING TO FL350. TFC NEVER CLOSER THAN 5 MI AND ALSO IN SIGHT. ZOB FREQ. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 410270. FLT LEFT PHL APPROX XA20Z. WAS CLRED TO CLB FROM FL290 TO FL350 BY ZOB. CREW RESPONDED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FL350 AND ATC CTLR TOOK NO EXCEPTION. BOTH CAPT AND FO AGREED THEY HAD HEARD FL350 AND SET IT IN ALT WINDOW OF FMC AND BEGAN AUTOPLT CLB. CLBING THROUGH FL340, CTLR RPTED TFC AT 3 O'CLOCK POS, 5 MI. WE RPTED TFC IN SIGHT, BUT HE WAS ALSO AT FL350. WE KNEW THIS WAS WRONG, SINCE WE BOTH COULDN'T BE AT FL350 AND STOPPED OUR CLB AROUND FL345 AND WAITED FOR A BREAK IN THE RADIO TFC TO ASK OUR CTLR WHAT HE REALLY WANTED US TO DO. BEFORE WE COULD ASK, HE SAID HE SHOWED US AT FL345 AND WE RESPONDED YES WE WERE CLRED TO FL350. HE SAID HE THOUGHT HE HAD CLRED US TO FL330. HE ISSUED US A 15 DEG L TURN AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN FL340. WE MAINTAINED THE OTHER TFC IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME AND NEVER GOT CLOSER THAN 5 MI. ATC THEN CLRED US TO FL330. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. BOTH CAPT AND FO HAD NO DOUBT WE WERE CLRED TO FL350. WE SUSPECT THAT THE CTLR EITHER MISSPOKE WHEN GIVING US OUR CLRNC OR JUST MADE A MISTAKE AND CLRED US TO A WRONG ALT. THE TAPES SHOULD MAKE THIS CLR.

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.

Jet air carrier crew climbing from FL290 to FL350 vicinity of air, oh, receive TA from ZOB controller on traffic at FL350. Crew stopped climb at FL345 and traffic. Controller believed he had cleared the flight to FL330.