Narrative:

Flight air carrier X was level at FL300. ZDC called and said switch to 133.82. We read this back. Just before we started to switch frequency; ZDC called and said 'air carrier X climb to FL320.' we read back the clearance with the frequency change. ZDC said 'no; air carrier X; do not change frequencys and climb to FL320.' we read back climb to FL320. We climbed to FL320 and leveled off. In about 1 min we got a TCAS alert -- traffic! We checked our display and saw a conflict ahead level about 15 NM out. An RA followed with descend! We descended. ZDC never warned us of the traffic. The other plane was air carrier Y. We were flying to pbi from phl. We talked to center and were given a phone number. I called ZDC on the phone. They explained that the ATC controller confused us with an air carrier Z. He gave us the climb but thought he was talking to air carrier Z. Supplemental information from acn 695877: we were at cruise altitude of FL310 for about 30-45 mins. ZDC was trying to contact another aircraft (I believe air carrier X); but got no response. We got a traffic alert on TCAS as center called to tell us we had an aircraft at our altitude. We acknowledged and soon got an RA from TCAS to climb. We complied with the RA climb; told ATC we had the other aircraft in sight; and that we were climbing. Maximum altitude was about FL323 before we returned to FL310. The other aircraft came up on frequency and said they had descended per their RA and that there had been a handoff problem with prior controller. Center responded that he believed there was a controller problem and that tapes would be pulled and investigated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW HAS A TCAS RA AFTER BEING CLRED TO CLB BY ATC.

Narrative: FLT ACR X WAS LEVEL AT FL300. ZDC CALLED AND SAID SWITCH TO 133.82. WE READ THIS BACK. JUST BEFORE WE STARTED TO SWITCH FREQ; ZDC CALLED AND SAID 'ACR X CLB TO FL320.' WE READ BACK THE CLRNC WITH THE FREQ CHANGE. ZDC SAID 'NO; ACR X; DO NOT CHANGE FREQS AND CLB TO FL320.' WE READ BACK CLB TO FL320. WE CLBED TO FL320 AND LEVELED OFF. IN ABOUT 1 MIN WE GOT A TCAS ALERT -- TFC! WE CHKED OUR DISPLAY AND SAW A CONFLICT AHEAD LEVEL ABOUT 15 NM OUT. AN RA FOLLOWED WITH DSND! WE DSNDED. ZDC NEVER WARNED US OF THE TFC. THE OTHER PLANE WAS ACR Y. WE WERE FLYING TO PBI FROM PHL. WE TALKED TO CTR AND WERE GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER. I CALLED ZDC ON THE PHONE. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE ATC CTLR CONFUSED US WITH AN ACR Z. HE GAVE US THE CLB BUT THOUGHT HE WAS TALKING TO ACR Z. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 695877: WE WERE AT CRUISE ALT OF FL310 FOR ABOUT 30-45 MINS. ZDC WAS TRYING TO CONTACT ANOTHER ACFT (I BELIEVE ACR X); BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. WE GOT A TFC ALERT ON TCAS AS CTR CALLED TO TELL US WE HAD AN ACFT AT OUR ALT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND SOON GOT AN RA FROM TCAS TO CLB. WE COMPLIED WITH THE RA CLB; TOLD ATC WE HAD THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT; AND THAT WE WERE CLBING. MAX ALT WAS ABOUT FL323 BEFORE WE RETURNED TO FL310. THE OTHER ACFT CAME UP ON FREQ AND SAID THEY HAD DSNDED PER THEIR RA AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A HDOF PROB WITH PRIOR CTLR. CTR RESPONDED THAT HE BELIEVED THERE WAS A CTLR PROB AND THAT TAPES WOULD BE PULLED AND INVESTIGATED.

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.