Narrative:

Cleared by dca departure, 118.95, to climb to 11000 ft, heading 270 degrees and 230 KIAS. Switched to dca departure, 121.05, and cleared to FL190. Passing 15000 ft, told to resume normal speed. Many aircraft in the area due to line of cumulo nimbus from oklahoma to east coast. Most wbound aircraft going southwest of normal routing, including us. As we approached FL180, we received a TCASII TA from aircraft at 10 mi and FL190. At approximately the same time, dca departure instructed us to turn 20 degrees left, and said we were well north of fluky. I acknowledged and responded our last assigned was heading 270 degrees. Dca departure then said, 'not sure what you are doing -- I thought I gave you direct fluky, well maybe not, turn 30 degrees left and intercept the dca 246 degree radial.' the TA aircraft passed about 5 mi to our right and 500 ft above us. No other xmissions were made relative to this incident -- it is we were cleared direct fluky as neither pilot heard nor responded to any such clearance. Also, we were a 'no GPS' and would not have been able to accept the clearance. At the time of the incident, there were many aircraft in the area and many radio xmissions due to aircraft diverting around the line of cumulo nimbus. Dca departure, 121.05, may have assumed we had been cleared direct by the previous controller or the heavy volume of traffic may have been a factor. Bottom line is traffic separation appeared to be maintained and dca departure recognized the situation and made corrections in a timely manner. Supplemental information from acn 476560: later, controller said on the radio he did not think he had cleared us to fluky. We never received nor could we accept a clearance to fluky.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC CONFUSION ON DEP FROM DCA, VA.

Narrative: CLRED BY DCA DEP, 118.95, TO CLB TO 11000 FT, HDG 270 DEGS AND 230 KIAS. SWITCHED TO DCA DEP, 121.05, AND CLRED TO FL190. PASSING 15000 FT, TOLD TO RESUME NORMAL SPD. MANY ACFT IN THE AREA DUE TO LINE OF CUMULO NIMBUS FROM OKLAHOMA TO EAST COAST. MOST WBOUND ACFT GOING SW OF NORMAL ROUTING, INCLUDING US. AS WE APCHED FL180, WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA FROM ACFT AT 10 MI AND FL190. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME, DCA DEP INSTRUCTED US TO TURN 20 DEGS L, AND SAID WE WERE WELL N OF FLUKY. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND RESPONDED OUR LAST ASSIGNED WAS HDG 270 DEGS. DCA DEP THEN SAID, 'NOT SURE WHAT YOU ARE DOING -- I THOUGHT I GAVE YOU DIRECT FLUKY, WELL MAYBE NOT, TURN 30 DEGS L AND INTERCEPT THE DCA 246 DEG RADIAL.' THE TA ACFT PASSED ABOUT 5 MI TO OUR R AND 500 FT ABOVE US. NO OTHER XMISSIONS WERE MADE RELATIVE TO THIS INCIDENT -- IT IS WE WERE CLRED DIRECT FLUKY AS NEITHER PLT HEARD NOR RESPONDED TO ANY SUCH CLRNC. ALSO, WE WERE A 'NO GPS' AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCEPT THE CLRNC. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THERE WERE MANY ACFT IN THE AREA AND MANY RADIO XMISSIONS DUE TO ACFT DIVERTING AROUND THE LINE OF CUMULO NIMBUS. DCA DEP, 121.05, MAY HAVE ASSUMED WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT BY THE PREVIOUS CTLR OR THE HVY VOLUME OF TFC MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. BOTTOM LINE IS TFC SEPARATION APPEARED TO BE MAINTAINED AND DCA DEP RECOGNIZED THE SIT AND MADE CORRECTIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 476560: LATER, CTLR SAID ON THE RADIO HE DID NOT THINK HE HAD CLRED US TO FLUKY. WE NEVER RECEIVED NOR COULD WE ACCEPT A CLRNC TO FLUKY.

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.