Narrative:

Flying at FL301, 40 DME west of mol, TCASII alerted to a 'TA.' checking the TCASII, I saw a +08 (800 ft) yellow icon from our right to left at 1 O'clock position. ZDC started calling a aircraft to climb back to FL330. The aircraft did not respond. Center called again and told aircraft Y to climb back to FL330. They had taken the wrong descent clearance. I did not hear aircraft Y respond. TCASII alerted with an 'RA,' commanded with a 'descend now!' I started a rapid descent, the vsi RA indicated I needed a 5050 ft descent rate. The red 'RA' +01 (200 ft) icon was off our right and closing. ZDC controller was now yelling 'aircraft Y climb, climb!' the controller keyed his microphone, but with only choking sounds of 'uh, uh!' my screen showed icon , our aircraft X icon radials, heading lines, and track all one big clutter. My first officer tried several times to tell center we were descending. The TCASII RA changed to TA at around FL296. We saw the air carrier Y aircraft pass overhead. Another controller told us to descend to FL290 and then on down to FL240. Contact with air carrier Y had been made, and center told them they had taken their company's descent clrncs. Their response, 'you had better pull the tapes on that one.' I checked on the passenger and flight attendants. Everyone was ok. We continued to orf. At orf, I called ZDC. I wanted to check on the controller, let them know we were all ok, and to find out what was going to happen next. I was told the controller was shook up, but ok. They were looking at the computer to see what happened and that the case was being passed on to their quality assurance division. As far as my emotions, I thought we were going to impact with air carrier Y when the controller could not speak. I was relieved to fly through FL300 and still be flying. The first officer and I were on high alert for the rest of the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 ENRTE ACFT NMAC AT FL310.

Narrative: FLYING AT FL301, 40 DME W OF MOL, TCASII ALERTED TO A 'TA.' CHKING THE TCASII, I SAW A +08 (800 FT) YELLOW ICON FROM OUR R TO L AT 1 O'CLOCK POS. ZDC STARTED CALLING A ACFT TO CLB BACK TO FL330. THE ACFT DID NOT RESPOND. CTR CALLED AGAIN AND TOLD ACFT Y TO CLB BACK TO FL330. THEY HAD TAKEN THE WRONG DSCNT CLRNC. I DID NOT HEAR ACFT Y RESPOND. TCASII ALERTED WITH AN 'RA,' COMMANDED WITH A 'DSND NOW!' I STARTED A RAPID DSCNT, THE VSI RA INDICATED I NEEDED A 5050 FT DSCNT RATE. THE RED 'RA' +01 (200 FT) ICON WAS OFF OUR R AND CLOSING. ZDC CTLR WAS NOW YELLING 'ACFT Y CLB, CLB!' THE CTLR KEYED HIS MIKE, BUT WITH ONLY CHOKING SOUNDS OF 'UH, UH!' MY SCREEN SHOWED ICON , OUR ACFT X ICON RADIALS, HDG LINES, AND TRACK ALL ONE BIG CLUTTER. MY FO TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO TELL CTR WE WERE DSNDING. THE TCASII RA CHANGED TO TA AT AROUND FL296. WE SAW THE ACR Y ACFT PASS OVERHEAD. ANOTHER CTLR TOLD US TO DSND TO FL290 AND THEN ON DOWN TO FL240. CONTACT WITH ACR Y HAD BEEN MADE, AND CTR TOLD THEM THEY HAD TAKEN THEIR COMPANY'S DSCNT CLRNCS. THEIR RESPONSE, 'YOU HAD BETTER PULL THE TAPES ON THAT ONE.' I CHKED ON THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS. EVERYONE WAS OK. WE CONTINUED TO ORF. AT ORF, I CALLED ZDC. I WANTED TO CHK ON THE CTLR, LET THEM KNOW WE WERE ALL OK, AND TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. I WAS TOLD THE CTLR WAS SHOOK UP, BUT OK. THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE COMPUTER TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT THE CASE WAS BEING PASSED ON TO THEIR QUALITY ASSURANCE DIVISION. AS FAR AS MY EMOTIONS, I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO IMPACT WITH ACR Y WHEN THE CTLR COULD NOT SPEAK. I WAS RELIEVED TO FLY THROUGH FL300 AND STILL BE FLYING. THE FO AND I WERE ON HIGH ALERT FOR THE REST OF THE FLT.

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.