Narrative:

After departing wichita mid-continent airport, we were eventually cleared up to 12000'. At this time we were deviating around thunderstorms, conditions at the time were turbulent, rainy and restr visibility due to flying through clouds. At approximately 60-70 mi or so from the wichita VOR we received a clearance to climb to FL190. The copilot acknowledged the transmission with our aircraft # out of 12000' for FL190. I then initiated a climb to FL190. Passing 13000' ZKC instructed us to descend immediately to 12000' and pointed out traffic at 12 O'clock and less than 1 mi, at which point we made visual contact with another aircraft traveling in the same direction as we were, approximately 1 mi ahead at approximately the same altitude. After leveling back at 12000' I asked ZKC to verify that we had originally been cleared up to FL190 before we were asked to descend immediately. ZKC's response was negative, that that was for another aircraft. However, my copilot and I understood the aircraft #'south as being our #, especially when the copilot read the clearance back to the controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT DEVIATING AROUND WX THOUGHT IT WAS CLEARED TO CLIMB, READ BACK CLRNC AND CTLR SAID LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER SMT AFTER CLIMB STARTED.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING WICHITA MID-CONTINENT ARPT, WE WERE EVENTUALLY CLRED UP TO 12000'. AT THIS TIME WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS, CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE TURBULENT, RAINY AND RESTR VIS DUE TO FLYING THROUGH CLOUDS. AT APPROX 60-70 MI OR SO FROM THE WICHITA VOR WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO CLB TO FL190. THE COPLT ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION WITH OUR ACFT # OUT OF 12000' FOR FL190. I THEN INITIATED A CLB TO FL190. PASSING 13000' ZKC INSTRUCTED US TO DSND IMMEDIATELY TO 12000' AND POINTED OUT TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AND LESS THAN 1 MI, AT WHICH POINT WE MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH ANOTHER ACFT TRAVELING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS WE WERE, APPROX 1 MI AHEAD AT APPROX THE SAME ALT. AFTER LEVELING BACK AT 12000' I ASKED ZKC TO VERIFY THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN CLRED UP TO FL190 BEFORE WE WERE ASKED TO DSND IMMEDIATELY. ZKC'S RESPONSE WAS NEGATIVE, THAT THAT WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT. HOWEVER, MY COPLT AND I UNDERSTOOD THE ACFT #'S AS BEING OUR #, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE COPLT READ THE CLRNC BACK TO THE CTLR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.