B757 departure from mde experienced traffic conflict at approximately FL240.

Attributes
ACN	608251
Time
Date	200402
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sked.artcc
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24300 msl bound upper : 25000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sked.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : sked.artcc
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	608251
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	608249
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne critical non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Initial clearance on ground in skrg was to climb to FL350. On climb out, skrg departure controller said to report climbing through FL240 and climb to FL350. At about FL230, sked instructed us to climb to FL250. We asked to clarify FL250 or FL350 and they confirmed FL250 and we read back FL250. We leveled at FL250. Shortly after sked instructed to descend to FL240 for traffic. We clarified again FL240 and confirmed FL240. I initiated a descent of 1500 FPM to FL240 and we saw on TCASII another aircraft at 12 O'clock position and 8 mi that was showing 100 ft lower than us at FL250. We got the 'traffic, traffic' warning and followed by the 'adjust vertical speed' warning. We never saw the aircraft. TCASII was in the RA mode now showing a green band between zero and 300 FPM down the traffic was also descending for some reason and ATC was talking in spanish to them. I leveled off at FL243 as other aircraft went under us at about FL235. ATC then gave us clearance to climb to FL350 and change to bog control. Thought this order very difficult to understand and the controller's english was marginal. We confirmed each assignment with the ATC facility and with each other before executing and believe we were following the instructions as said. A conversation of a few mins continued in spanish between ATC and the other aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 DEP FROM MDE EXPERIENCED TFC CONFLICT AT APPROX FL240.

Narrative: INITIAL CLRNC ON GND IN SKRG WAS TO CLB TO FL350. ON CLBOUT, SKRG DEP CTLR SAID TO RPT CLBING THROUGH FL240 AND CLB TO FL350. AT ABOUT FL230, SKED INSTRUCTED US TO CLB TO FL250. WE ASKED TO CLARIFY FL250 OR FL350 AND THEY CONFIRMED FL250 AND WE READ BACK FL250. WE LEVELED AT FL250. SHORTLY AFTER SKED INSTRUCTED TO DSND TO FL240 FOR TFC. WE CLARIFIED AGAIN FL240 AND CONFIRMED FL240. I INITIATED A DSCNT OF 1500 FPM TO FL240 AND WE SAW ON TCASII ANOTHER ACFT AT 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 8 MI THAT WAS SHOWING 100 FT LOWER THAN US AT FL250. WE GOT THE 'TFC, TFC' WARNING AND FOLLOWED BY THE 'ADJUST VERT SPD' WARNING. WE NEVER SAW THE ACFT. TCASII WAS IN THE RA MODE NOW SHOWING A GREEN BAND BTWN ZERO AND 300 FPM DOWN THE TFC WAS ALSO DSNDING FOR SOME REASON AND ATC WAS TALKING IN SPANISH TO THEM. I LEVELED OFF AT FL243 AS OTHER ACFT WENT UNDER US AT ABOUT FL235. ATC THEN GAVE US CLRNC TO CLB TO FL350 AND CHANGE TO BOG CTL. THOUGHT THIS ORDER VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AND THE CTLR'S ENGLISH WAS MARGINAL. WE CONFIRMED EACH ASSIGNMENT WITH THE ATC FACILITY AND WITH EACH OTHER BEFORE EXECUTING AND BELIEVE WE WERE FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS AS SAID. A CONVERSATION OF A FEW MINS CONTINUED IN SPANISH BTWN ATC AND THE OTHER ACFT.

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.