Narrative:

Aircraft and crew were on a mission. Per an established LOA with the local TRACON; the crew contacted TRACON prior to the flight. TRACON was advised that we were working at 4500 ft MSL 2 mi northwest of cle. TRACON; per our procedures; gave us a clearance over the phone; clearing us to 4500 ft; within the class B and advised we stay with tower on 120.9. After takeoff; tower told us to maintain runway heading (240 degrees); then contact approach. We stayed on assigned heading; continued our climb; then called approach. Upon contact; approach gave us 280 degree heading and we continued climbing while we turned. After some time; 3-4 mi maybe; we asked approach if we could turn to go on station (2 mi northwest of ZZZ); approach replied stand by. He told us to turn toward the field and contact tower. After we turned toward the field; tower was called. Asked us to level off at 3500 ft with a turn to 180 degrees. We descended out of 3800 ft to 3500 ft during the turn. Our tis system was alarming; then we received a heading of 360 degrees. As we turned; we stopped at 090 degrees as traffic passed oncoming on the left side of the aircraft at our altitude and within 500 ft. If we had completed the turn; we would have hit the oncoming traffic. 1) TRACON did not pass our flight intentions on to the appropriate people; which led to confusion from the start. 2) departure gave us a turn toward the field into the airplane departures; but it was tower that descended us into the traffic. If we would have continued the climb to 4500 ft; there would not have been a near miss.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT EXPERIENCED CONFLICT AT 3500 FT DURING OPS MISSION WHEN BOTH CLE TRACON AND TWR REPORTEDLY ISSUED CLRNCS THAT CAUSED THE CONFLICT.

Narrative: ACFT AND CREW WERE ON A MISSION. PER AN ESTABLISHED LOA WITH THE LCL TRACON; THE CREW CONTACTED TRACON PRIOR TO THE FLT. TRACON WAS ADVISED THAT WE WERE WORKING AT 4500 FT MSL 2 MI NW OF CLE. TRACON; PER OUR PROCS; GAVE US A CLRNC OVER THE PHONE; CLRING US TO 4500 FT; WITHIN THE CLASS B AND ADVISED WE STAY WITH TWR ON 120.9. AFTER TKOF; TWR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG (240 DEGS); THEN CONTACT APCH. WE STAYED ON ASSIGNED HDG; CONTINUED OUR CLB; THEN CALLED APCH. UPON CONTACT; APCH GAVE US 280 DEG HDG AND WE CONTINUED CLBING WHILE WE TURNED. AFTER SOME TIME; 3-4 MI MAYBE; WE ASKED APCH IF WE COULD TURN TO GO ON STATION (2 MI NW OF ZZZ); APCH REPLIED STAND BY. HE TOLD US TO TURN TOWARD THE FIELD AND CONTACT TWR. AFTER WE TURNED TOWARD THE FIELD; TWR WAS CALLED. ASKED US TO LEVEL OFF AT 3500 FT WITH A TURN TO 180 DEGS. WE DSNDED OUT OF 3800 FT TO 3500 FT DURING THE TURN. OUR TIS SYS WAS ALARMING; THEN WE RECEIVED A HDG OF 360 DEGS. AS WE TURNED; WE STOPPED AT 090 DEGS AS TFC PASSED ONCOMING ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AT OUR ALT AND WITHIN 500 FT. IF WE HAD COMPLETED THE TURN; WE WOULD HAVE HIT THE ONCOMING TFC. 1) TRACON DID NOT PASS OUR FLT INTENTIONS ON TO THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE; WHICH LED TO CONFUSION FROM THE START. 2) DEP GAVE US A TURN TOWARD THE FIELD INTO THE AIRPLANE DEPS; BUT IT WAS TWR THAT DSNDED US INTO THE TFC. IF WE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED THE CLB TO 4500 FT; THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A NEAR MISS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.