Narrative:

We departed on a test flight on jul/fri/06; at approximately XA00L. I was flying as captain and the remaining crew consisted of a first officer and 4 flight technicians. It was a routine test flight used for evaluating the aircraft system and the avionics; specifically the new transponder system that was installed (collins enhanced flight identification). After a routine takeoff and departure we were eventually handed off to ZJX and cleared direct crg VOR. We leveled off temporarily at which I believe was FL280. In a very short time we were cleared to what I thought was FL330. The first officer dialed in FL330 and I acknowledged that FL330 was set. We started a climb with the automatic flight system. At this time I asked the first officer to query the controller regarding what data readouts she was receiving from the collins enhanced flight identification system. The controller replied that she was only receiving airspeed and altitude data and she said she was going to call someone and see if she would be able to get us more information. She also said at that time to stand by; as she had to coordinate other traffic. During the climb I noticed an aircraft approaching on TCAS from the 1 O'clock position; above us and asked the first officer to query ATC about the traffic. It took about 15-20 seconds for the first officer to establish contact; as the controller was speaking to another aircraft. When the controller called us back she wanted to know what our last assigned altitude was; and before the first officer could reply the controller instructed us to turn left to an assigned heading and maintain FL300 to which we immediately complied. The controller then asked at what altitude we were maintaining and the first officer replied FL300. This was our first indication that we may not have been at the correct assigned altitude. The controller did not question us further about the situation. At no time did ATC advise us of any traffic conflicts. I feel that these events occurred as I have described to the very best of my knowledge. I think that a contributing factor was that cockpit activity although properly managed was at a slightly raised level. Possibly a more thorough briefing to the observers and crew about the prudent use of communication during a test flight would lessen the possibility of a situation like this arising such as the one I just described. I think that the crew acted in a safe manner and followed all instructions at the best of my recollection given by ATC. Supplemental information from acn 702788: at approximately XA20 the captain noticed a traffic target on the TCAS approaching from approximately a 1 O'clock position; and above our aircraft. I immediately attempted to query the controller about the traffic; but she was transmitting instructions to another aircraft. When I finally established contact with ATC; the controller queried us as to what altitude we were last assigned. Before I could answer; she directed us to turn left to a heading (I do not recall the specific heading) which; I presume; was away from the approaching traffic and to maintain FL300 (30000 ft). At approximately the same time; we received a TA on our TCAS system. The captain initiated an immediate left turn and simultaneous descent to FL300. Upon reaching FL300; I established visual contact with the approaching aircraft which passed above and to the right of our position. The controller queried our altitude and I replied 'FL300.' this was our first indication that we may have been assigned an incorrect altitude or that we did not correctly accept an altitude to which we were assigned. This controller did not ask any other questions and; to the best of my recollection; assigned one more heading before instructing us to contact ZJX on the next forward frequency. At no time were we given a warning by ATC of a possible altitude deviation; nor were we instructed by ATC to call any quality assurance office concerning the matter. I contacted ATC on the newly assigned frequency; stating 'FL300' and our assigned heading. ATC acknowledged my transmission and; to the best of my recollection; the remainder of the test flight was conducted on assigned heading by each successive controller. The flight concluded uneventfully; with ZJX handing us off to savannah approach for our arrival into sav. The aircraft landed approximately XB20.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT CREW TEST FLYING A G-V RECEIVED A TCAS TA; QUERIED ATC ABOUT THEIR ALT ASSIGNMENT AND WERE TOLD THEY WERE CLBING TO AN ALT IN ERROR.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ON A TEST FLT ON JUL/FRI/06; AT APPROX XA00L. I WAS FLYING AS CAPT AND THE REMAINING CREW CONSISTED OF A FO AND 4 FLT TECHNICIANS. IT WAS A ROUTINE TEST FLT USED FOR EVALUATING THE ACFT SYS AND THE AVIONICS; SPECIFICALLY THE NEW XPONDER SYS THAT WAS INSTALLED (COLLINS ENHANCED FLT ID). AFTER A ROUTINE TKOF AND DEP WE WERE EVENTUALLY HANDED OFF TO ZJX AND CLRED DIRECT CRG VOR. WE LEVELED OFF TEMPORARILY AT WHICH I BELIEVE WAS FL280. IN A VERY SHORT TIME WE WERE CLRED TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS FL330. THE FO DIALED IN FL330 AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT FL330 WAS SET. WE STARTED A CLB WITH THE AUTOMATIC FLT SYS. AT THIS TIME I ASKED THE FO TO QUERY THE CTLR REGARDING WHAT DATA READOUTS SHE WAS RECEIVING FROM THE COLLINS ENHANCED FLT ID SYS. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT SHE WAS ONLY RECEIVING AIRSPD AND ALT DATA AND SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING TO CALL SOMEONE AND SEE IF SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET US MORE INFO. SHE ALSO SAID AT THAT TIME TO STAND BY; AS SHE HAD TO COORDINATE OTHER TFC. DURING THE CLB I NOTICED AN ACFT APCHING ON TCAS FROM THE 1 O'CLOCK POS; ABOVE US AND ASKED THE FO TO QUERY ATC ABOUT THE TFC. IT TOOK ABOUT 15-20 SECONDS FOR THE FO TO ESTABLISH CONTACT; AS THE CTLR WAS SPEAKING TO ANOTHER ACFT. WHEN THE CTLR CALLED US BACK SHE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT OUR LAST ASSIGNED ALT WAS; AND BEFORE THE FO COULD REPLY THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN L TO AN ASSIGNED HDG AND MAINTAIN FL300 TO WHICH WE IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED. THE CTLR THEN ASKED AT WHAT ALT WE WERE MAINTAINING AND THE FO REPLIED FL300. THIS WAS OUR FIRST INDICATION THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AT THE CORRECT ASSIGNED ALT. THE CTLR DID NOT QUESTION US FURTHER ABOUT THE SITUATION. AT NO TIME DID ATC ADVISE US OF ANY TFC CONFLICTS. I FEEL THAT THESE EVENTS OCCURRED AS I HAVE DESCRIBED TO THE VERY BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. I THINK THAT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT COCKPIT ACTIVITY ALTHOUGH PROPERLY MANAGED WAS AT A SLIGHTLY RAISED LEVEL. POSSIBLY A MORE THOROUGH BRIEFING TO THE OBSERVERS AND CREW ABOUT THE PRUDENT USE OF COM DURING A TEST FLT WOULD LESSEN THE POSSIBILITY OF A SITUATION LIKE THIS ARISING SUCH AS THE ONE I JUST DESCRIBED. I THINK THAT THE CREW ACTED IN A SAFE MANNER AND FOLLOWED ALL INSTRUCTIONS AT THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION GIVEN BY ATC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 702788: AT APPROX XA20 THE CAPT NOTICED A TFC TARGET ON THE TCAS APCHING FROM APPROX A 1 O'CLOCK POS; AND ABOVE OUR ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO QUERY THE CTLR ABOUT THE TFC; BUT SHE WAS XMITTING INSTRUCTIONS TO ANOTHER ACFT. WHEN I FINALLY ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ATC; THE CTLR QUERIED US AS TO WHAT ALT WE WERE LAST ASSIGNED. BEFORE I COULD ANSWER; SHE DIRECTED US TO TURN L TO A HDG (I DO NOT RECALL THE SPECIFIC HDG) WHICH; I PRESUME; WAS AWAY FROM THE APCHING TFC AND TO MAINTAIN FL300 (30000 FT). AT APPROX THE SAME TIME; WE RECEIVED A TA ON OUR TCAS SYS. THE CAPT INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE L TURN AND SIMULTANEOUS DSCNT TO FL300. UPON REACHING FL300; I ESTABLISHED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE APCHING ACFT WHICH PASSED ABOVE AND TO THE R OF OUR POS. THE CTLR QUERIED OUR ALT AND I REPLIED 'FL300.' THIS WAS OUR FIRST INDICATION THAT WE MAY HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED AN INCORRECT ALT OR THAT WE DID NOT CORRECTLY ACCEPT AN ALT TO WHICH WE WERE ASSIGNED. THIS CTLR DID NOT ASK ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AND; TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION; ASSIGNED ONE MORE HDG BEFORE INSTRUCTING US TO CONTACT ZJX ON THE NEXT FORWARD FREQ. AT NO TIME WERE WE GIVEN A WARNING BY ATC OF A POSSIBLE ALTDEV; NOR WERE WE INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO CALL ANY QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICE CONCERNING THE MATTER. I CONTACTED ATC ON THE NEWLY ASSIGNED FREQ; STATING 'FL300' AND OUR ASSIGNED HDG. ATC ACKNOWLEDGED MY XMISSION AND; TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION; THE REMAINDER OF THE TEST FLT WAS CONDUCTED ON ASSIGNED HDG BY EACH SUCCESSIVE CTLR. THE FLT CONCLUDED UNEVENTFULLY; WITH ZJX HANDING US OFF TO SAVANNAH APCH FOR OUR ARR INTO SAV. THE ACFT LANDED APPROX XB20.

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.