Narrative:

Action taken: ATC directed leveloff prior to initially assigned altitude. Description of events: during climb out departing chs for atl; an operational error occurred with ZJX. We were level at FL230 and given a frequency change to the high altitude sector. Following the frequency change; we heard jax finishing a communication with another aircraft. The captain then contacted jax with our altitude of FL230. ZJX then responded with 'air carrier climb and maintain FL300.' the captain then called back with a clear confirmation. During the climb; we received a TA between FL230-FL250. Jax then called us and told us that the clearance to FL300 was for another aircraft and that we were to level at FL230. Then he noticed that we were already above the traffic and told us to level at FL250. Another controller came on and told us that we may have been involved in an operational error and gave us a phone number to call. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Upon landing in atl; the captain called jax and was notified by the watch supervisor that we 'had no further involvement in the incident.' the captain called 2 hours later and spoke with another manager who explained that the mistake rested solely with the ZJX controller. He verified that the tapes clearly showed that the controller cleared us to FL300.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 EXPERIENCED CONFLICT AT FL230 AS CTLR ERRED AND CLBED RPTR'S ACFT THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT.

Narrative: ACTION TAKEN: ATC DIRECTED LEVELOFF PRIOR TO INITIALLY ASSIGNED ALT. DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS: DURING CLBOUT DEPARTING CHS FOR ATL; AN OPERROR OCCURRED WITH ZJX. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL230 AND GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO THE HIGH ALT SECTOR. FOLLOWING THE FREQ CHANGE; WE HEARD JAX FINISHING A COM WITH ANOTHER ACFT. THE CAPT THEN CONTACTED JAX WITH OUR ALT OF FL230. ZJX THEN RESPONDED WITH 'ACR CLB AND MAINTAIN FL300.' THE CAPT THEN CALLED BACK WITH A CLR CONFIRMATION. DURING THE CLB; WE RECEIVED A TA BTWN FL230-FL250. JAX THEN CALLED US AND TOLD US THAT THE CLRNC TO FL300 WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT AND THAT WE WERE TO LEVEL AT FL230. THEN HE NOTICED THAT WE WERE ALREADY ABOVE THE TFC AND TOLD US TO LEVEL AT FL250. ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON AND TOLD US THAT WE MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN OPERROR AND GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON LNDG IN ATL; THE CAPT CALLED JAX AND WAS NOTIFIED BY THE WATCH SUPVR THAT WE 'HAD NO FURTHER INVOLVEMENT IN THE INCIDENT.' THE CAPT CALLED 2 HRS LATER AND SPOKE WITH ANOTHER MGR WHO EXPLAINED THAT THE MISTAKE RESTED SOLELY WITH THE ZJX CTLR. HE VERIFIED THAT THE TAPES CLRLY SHOWED THAT THE CTLR CLRED US TO FL300.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.