Narrative:

We were climbing out of atlanta area (departed fty, destination tpa), assigned heading 190 degrees by an earlier sector. We checked on with ZTL with our assigned heading and were assigned FL310. My first officer was communicating and set FL310 in altitude preselect. I heard FL310 and confirmed it with him. Autoplt was flying, heading mode, altitude select engaged, half bank mode, 1500 FPM vertical speed. Out of about FL295, center called traffic at 12 O'clock, 3 mi northbound, but no altitude was given. We had already switched our mfd off of TCASII display to a map mode. At FL298, center gave us 'right turn 20 degrees.' we read it back and dialed in the new heading. At the same time I acquired the traffic and kicked off half bank mode. I just made the comment that this wasn't going to work (to my first officer) and reached to disconnect the autoplt. At FL300 we got an RA. We never did get a TA, but the heading change put us on a more direct collision course. Simultaneously with the 'descend, descend' RA, center called 'air carrier YYY, turn left heading 270 degrees immediately -- break -- learjet xx stop climb immediately!' we topped out at FL302 and passed under the B727's right wing close enough to clearly read their logo! After we passed, the cargo flight commented that they 'saw the little guy go under our right wing.' center apologized a little later. There were several moments of confusion immediately after we complied with the RA regarding what altitude and heading center wanted us on. I don't believe the error was ours, but it would have ruined our whole day. In the future, I will pay more attention to looking outside, even in the flight levels. Also, it would have helped if center had called out an altitude on our traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CLBING LEAR 31 HAS A VERY CLOSE POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH A CARGO 727 IN CRUISE THAT WAS OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC, AT THE ASSIGNED ALT OF THE LEARJET.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING OUT OF ATLANTA AREA (DEPARTED FTY, DEST TPA), ASSIGNED HDG 190 DEGS BY AN EARLIER SECTOR. WE CHKED ON WITH ZTL WITH OUR ASSIGNED HDG AND WERE ASSIGNED FL310. MY FO WAS COMMUNICATING AND SET FL310 IN ALT PRESELECT. I HEARD FL310 AND CONFIRMED IT WITH HIM. AUTOPLT WAS FLYING, HDG MODE, ALT SELECT ENGAGED, HALF BANK MODE, 1500 FPM VERT SPD. OUT OF ABOUT FL295, CTR CALLED TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK, 3 MI NBOUND, BUT NO ALT WAS GIVEN. WE HAD ALREADY SWITCHED OUR MFD OFF OF TCASII DISPLAY TO A MAP MODE. AT FL298, CTR GAVE US 'R TURN 20 DEGS.' WE READ IT BACK AND DIALED IN THE NEW HDG. AT THE SAME TIME I ACQUIRED THE TFC AND KICKED OFF HALF BANK MODE. I JUST MADE THE COMMENT THAT THIS WASN'T GOING TO WORK (TO MY FO) AND REACHED TO DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT. AT FL300 WE GOT AN RA. WE NEVER DID GET A TA, BUT THE HDG CHANGE PUT US ON A MORE DIRECT COLLISION COURSE. SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE 'DSND, DSND' RA, CTR CALLED 'ACR YYY, TURN L HDG 270 DEGS IMMEDIATELY -- BREAK -- LEARJET XX STOP CLB IMMEDIATELY!' WE TOPPED OUT AT FL302 AND PASSED UNDER THE B727'S R WING CLOSE ENOUGH TO CLRLY READ THEIR LOGO! AFTER WE PASSED, THE CARGO FLT COMMENTED THAT THEY 'SAW THE LITTLE GUY GO UNDER OUR R WING.' CTR APOLOGIZED A LITTLE LATER. THERE WERE SEVERAL MOMENTS OF CONFUSION IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE COMPLIED WITH THE RA REGARDING WHAT ALT AND HDG CTR WANTED US ON. I DON'T BELIEVE THE ERROR WAS OURS, BUT IT WOULD HAVE RUINED OUR WHOLE DAY. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL PAY MORE ATTN TO LOOKING OUTSIDE, EVEN IN THE FLT LEVELS. ALSO, IT WOULD HAVE HELPED IF CTR HAD CALLED OUT AN ALT ON OUR TFC.

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.