Narrative:

ZMP gave us a left turn to avoid traffic. The turn was of a specified number of degrees that I have since forgotten. Shortly after we completed the turn, ATC forcefully asked us to turn right at least double the number of degrees we originally turned left. It was clear by the strength of the voice that there was a conflict to be resolved. He expeditiously made the turn. I do not recall any TCASII warnings, but the first officer and I clearly could tell by the controller's tone that at least he felt we were too close to the traffic. The first officer and I then noticed that a new controller's voice was on the radio, and he remarked that somebody was having a bad day. We also felt that 'no harm, no foul,' so we didn't query ATC as to what happened. Also, ATC never said to us that we did anything wrong. At the time, I know that I thought we did nothing in error and I believe ATC did as well. Well, on aug/wed/00, I had contact with an FAA inspector who says that for the initial turn, my first officer read back a turn to the right and yet I as PF turned to the left (the wrong direction to the avoid the conflict). If this is true, I simply do not remember it happening that way. The entire incident was entirely uneventful at the time other than the raised tone and change of controller. Because we as a crew didn't think it was a question of our actions, I never thought about what my part was in the incident until I spoke to the FAA inspector some weeks later. As for what might have caused this situation I really don't know. I do think that controllers should add a specific heading to their direction of turns, and pilots should read back the final heading when given a turn. This would allow both controllers and pilots to double-check each other. If we did in fact turn the wrong way after reading back the correct turn, I am at fault for not verifying with the first officer or ATC the direction if I had any doubts. I don't remember having any, however. The first officer should have also caught and informed me of my wrong direction turn. This also could have corrected the problem. In the end, ATC did their job by getting us out of the way of that traffic and forcefully correcting whoever's error it was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TURNS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AN URGENT TONE IN CTLR'S VOICE FOLLOWED BY A CTLR REPLACEMENT LEAD CREW TO BELIEVE THERE WAS A TFC CONFLICT BEING RESOLVED. SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICATION INDICATED THEY HAD TURNED ORIGINALLY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

Narrative: ZMP GAVE US A L TURN TO AVOID TFC. THE TURN WAS OF A SPECIFIED NUMBER OF DEGS THAT I HAVE SINCE FORGOTTEN. SHORTLY AFTER WE COMPLETED THE TURN, ATC FORCEFULLY ASKED US TO TURN R AT LEAST DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF DEGS WE ORIGINALLY TURNED L. IT WAS CLR BY THE STRENGTH OF THE VOICE THAT THERE WAS A CONFLICT TO BE RESOLVED. HE EXPEDITIOUSLY MADE THE TURN. I DO NOT RECALL ANY TCASII WARNINGS, BUT THE FO AND I CLRLY COULD TELL BY THE CTLR'S TONE THAT AT LEAST HE FELT WE WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE TFC. THE FO AND I THEN NOTICED THAT A NEW CTLR'S VOICE WAS ON THE RADIO, AND HE REMARKED THAT SOMEBODY WAS HAVING A BAD DAY. WE ALSO FELT THAT 'NO HARM, NO FOUL,' SO WE DIDN'T QUERY ATC AS TO WHAT HAPPENED. ALSO, ATC NEVER SAID TO US THAT WE DID ANYTHING WRONG. AT THE TIME, I KNOW THAT I THOUGHT WE DID NOTHING IN ERROR AND I BELIEVE ATC DID AS WELL. WELL, ON AUG/WED/00, I HAD CONTACT WITH AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO SAYS THAT FOR THE INITIAL TURN, MY FO READ BACK A TURN TO THE R AND YET I AS PF TURNED TO THE L (THE WRONG DIRECTION TO THE AVOID THE CONFLICT). IF THIS IS TRUE, I SIMPLY DO NOT REMEMBER IT HAPPENING THAT WAY. THE ENTIRE INCIDENT WAS ENTIRELY UNEVENTFUL AT THE TIME OTHER THAN THE RAISED TONE AND CHANGE OF CTLR. BECAUSE WE AS A CREW DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A QUESTION OF OUR ACTIONS, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT MY PART WAS IN THE INCIDENT UNTIL I SPOKE TO THE FAA INSPECTOR SOME WKS LATER. AS FOR WHAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THIS SIT I REALLY DON'T KNOW. I DO THINK THAT CTLRS SHOULD ADD A SPECIFIC HEADING TO THEIR DIRECTION OF TURNS, AND PLTS SHOULD READ BACK THE FINAL HEADING WHEN GIVEN A TURN. THIS WOULD ALLOW BOTH CTLRS AND PLTS TO DOUBLE-CHK EACH OTHER. IF WE DID IN FACT TURN THE WRONG WAY AFTER READING BACK THE CORRECT TURN, I AM AT FAULT FOR NOT VERIFYING WITH THE FO OR ATC THE DIRECTION IF I HAD ANY DOUBTS. I DON'T REMEMBER HAVING ANY, HOWEVER. THE FO SHOULD HAVE ALSO CAUGHT AND INFORMED ME OF MY WRONG DIRECTION TURN. THIS ALSO COULD HAVE CORRECTED THE PROB. IN THE END, ATC DID THEIR JOB BY GETTING US OUT OF THE WAY OF THAT TFC AND FORCEFULLY CORRECTING WHOEVER'S ERROR IT WAS.

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.