Narrative:

We departed off of runway 8 in pns. Initially cleared to 'fly runway heading; maintain 3000 ft.' upon climb out; tower instructed us to contact departure. Upon contacting departure; we were told 'climb and maintain 10000 ft.' captain and I both acknowledged the 10000 ft assigned altitude. We were climbing through 3600 ft MSL when departure asked us 'where are we going?' I informed the controller that we had been previously cleared to 10000 ft. The controller then told us to 'turn left to a heading of 360; maintain 4000 ft.' I placed 4000 ft in the altitude alerter. We were climbing rather quickly at that point; so the captain decided to disconnect the autoplt system to try and make the 4000 ft leveloff. We were also turning north at that point. We flew through the 4000 ft altitude and at that point we received an RA from TCAS. Initially; the RA was for us to descend. The captain was 'hand flying' the aircraft at the point and had initiated a descent. At the time; the cockpit was 'abuzz' with audio alerts from the aircraft such as 'altitude alert and descend!' upon descent; the captain and I both noticed on the TCAS screen that there was an aircraft below us that appeared to be climbing in our direction. Initially; the aircraft was 800 ft below us. We followed the RA descent; until we both noticed that the conflicting aircraft was directly below us and still climbing. At that point; the aircraft was 400 ft below us. I pointed out to the captain that we needed to climb. He initiated a climb at that time. A few moments later; the TCAS system told to 'climb.' I looked at the TCAS screen; it indicated that we were only 200 ft apart in altitude and nearly 'on top' of the conflicting aircraft. We climbed to 5000 ft and continued on. We reported to ATC that we had received an RA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 EXPERIENCES NMAC AS A RESULT OF HEARBACK READBACK ERROR ON CLEARED ALT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED OFF OF RWY 8 IN PNS. INITIALLY CLRED TO 'FLY RWY HDG; MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' UPON CLBOUT; TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT DEP. UPON CONTACTING DEP; WE WERE TOLD 'CLB AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT.' CAPT AND I BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED THE 10000 FT ASSIGNED ALT. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 3600 FT MSL WHEN DEP ASKED US 'WHERE ARE WE GOING?' I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLRED TO 10000 FT. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO 'TURN L TO A HDG OF 360; MAINTAIN 4000 FT.' I PLACED 4000 FT IN THE ALT ALERTER. WE WERE CLBING RATHER QUICKLY AT THAT POINT; SO THE CAPT DECIDED TO DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT SYS TO TRY AND MAKE THE 4000 FT LEVELOFF. WE WERE ALSO TURNING N AT THAT POINT. WE FLEW THROUGH THE 4000 FT ALT AND AT THAT POINT WE RECEIVED AN RA FROM TCAS. INITIALLY; THE RA WAS FOR US TO DSND. THE CAPT WAS 'HAND FLYING' THE ACFT AT THE POINT AND HAD INITIATED A DSCNT. AT THE TIME; THE COCKPIT WAS 'ABUZZ' WITH AUDIO ALERTS FROM THE ACFT SUCH AS 'ALT ALERT AND DSND!' UPON DSCNT; THE CAPT AND I BOTH NOTICED ON THE TCAS SCREEN THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT BELOW US THAT APPEARED TO BE CLBING IN OUR DIRECTION. INITIALLY; THE ACFT WAS 800 FT BELOW US. WE FOLLOWED THE RA DSCNT; UNTIL WE BOTH NOTICED THAT THE CONFLICTING ACFT WAS DIRECTLY BELOW US AND STILL CLBING. AT THAT POINT; THE ACFT WAS 400 FT BELOW US. I POINTED OUT TO THE CAPT THAT WE NEEDED TO CLB. HE INITIATED A CLB AT THAT TIME. A FEW MOMENTS LATER; THE TCAS SYS TOLD TO 'CLB.' I LOOKED AT THE TCAS SCREEN; IT INDICATED THAT WE WERE ONLY 200 FT APART IN ALT AND NEARLY 'ON TOP' OF THE CONFLICTING ACFT. WE CLBED TO 5000 FT AND CONTINUED ON. WE RPTED TO ATC THAT WE HAD RECEIVED AN RA.

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.