Narrative:

We were level FL220 direct rst. ATC called traffic at 12 O'clock at FL220. We saw the aircraft on the TCASII just coming into view at 6 mi. It indicated -200 ft. ATC directed us to climb to FL230, so I started to climb and both me and my first officer visually saw an airplane to our right of center. We both saw that he was not converging with us, but turning away. ATC directed a left turn to us, but I saw the fokker jet to our right as ATC was issuing us the evasive vector and we told ATC we saw the other airplane. Our TCASII was directing us to 'descend now,' but I leveled at FL230 as we passed the jet at FL230. I asked the ATC controller why she told us to climb and she said the jet was coming from another sector and was told to climb from FL210 to FL240. I was too excited to ask her why she had directed us to climb, but she initially said the other jet was at FL220. Obviously the jet was still climbing, but shouldn't she know that from her computer display showing altitude readouts? Supplemental information from acn 430463: during climb with autoplt on, received clearance to climb to FL230. This was heard by both crew members, responded to ATC as FL230 and in accordance with air carrier procedures, confirmed and pointed to the altitude window and verified. Passing approximately FL217 in VFR conditions, a TCASII advisory was received, followed by a climb command. The aircraft was spotted and a slight left turn was made and the climb was continued until clear of conflict was given. ATC asked us our altitude and we had recovered at FL230. They left us at FL230 and the flight continued uneventfully to ord.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-50 FLC IS DIRECTED TO CLB TO THE SAME ALT THAT AN ACR F100 IS CLBING TO AND THEY HAVE A CLOSE ENCOUNTER.

Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL FL220 DIRECT RST. ATC CALLED TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AT FL220. WE SAW THE ACFT ON THE TCASII JUST COMING INTO VIEW AT 6 MI. IT INDICATED -200 FT. ATC DIRECTED US TO CLB TO FL230, SO I STARTED TO CLB AND BOTH ME AND MY FO VISUALLY SAW AN AIRPLANE TO OUR R OF CTR. WE BOTH SAW THAT HE WAS NOT CONVERGING WITH US, BUT TURNING AWAY. ATC DIRECTED A L TURN TO US, BUT I SAW THE FOKKER JET TO OUR R AS ATC WAS ISSUING US THE EVASIVE VECTOR AND WE TOLD ATC WE SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE. OUR TCASII WAS DIRECTING US TO 'DSND NOW,' BUT I LEVELED AT FL230 AS WE PASSED THE JET AT FL230. I ASKED THE ATC CTLR WHY SHE TOLD US TO CLB AND SHE SAID THE JET WAS COMING FROM ANOTHER SECTOR AND WAS TOLD TO CLB FROM FL210 TO FL240. I WAS TOO EXCITED TO ASK HER WHY SHE HAD DIRECTED US TO CLB, BUT SHE INITIALLY SAID THE OTHER JET WAS AT FL220. OBVIOUSLY THE JET WAS STILL CLBING, BUT SHOULDN'T SHE KNOW THAT FROM HER COMPUTER DISPLAY SHOWING ALT READOUTS? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 430463: DURING CLB WITH AUTOPLT ON, RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB TO FL230. THIS WAS HEARD BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS, RESPONDED TO ATC AS FL230 AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACR PROCS, CONFIRMED AND POINTED TO THE ALT WINDOW AND VERIFIED. PASSING APPROX FL217 IN VFR CONDITIONS, A TCASII ADVISORY WAS RECEIVED, FOLLOWED BY A CLB COMMAND. THE ACFT WAS SPOTTED AND A SLIGHT L TURN WAS MADE AND THE CLB WAS CONTINUED UNTIL CLR OF CONFLICT WAS GIVEN. ATC ASKED US OUR ALT AND WE HAD RECOVERED AT FL230. THEY LEFT US AT FL230 AND THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO ORD.

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.