Narrative:

Our aircraft was cleared to natle intersection to climb from FL190 to FL220. Climbing through FL210 heading 190 degrees, ATC advised immediate descent to FL210, immediate left turn 110 degrees. Another air carrier flight was advised immediate climb to FL220. Within 5 seconds we were advised immediate descent FL190. The tone of the controllers voice indicated that she was deeply concerned about our position. Prior to this occurrence we had inadvertently departed from our route. Our clearance was baf-hfd-V58-salem intersection-direct natle-J174 as filed. We misread the clearance and proceeded direct to natle after hfd. However, I believe we were back on our original route at least 30 NM before this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT DID NOT FOLLOW ROUTING AS GIVEN BY ARTCC. WHILE CLIMBING WAS GIVEN AVOIDANCE CLRNC TO DESCENT AND TURN. OTHER TRAFFIC WAS ACR FLT. NO VISUAL. NO DISTANCE GIVEN.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS CLRED TO NATLE INTXN TO CLB FROM FL190 TO FL220. CLBING THROUGH FL210 HDG 190 DEGS, ATC ADVISED IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO FL210, IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN 110 DEGS. ANOTHER ACR FLT WAS ADVISED IMMEDIATE CLB TO FL220. WITHIN 5 SECS WE WERE ADVISED IMMEDIATE DSCNT FL190. THE TONE OF THE CTLRS VOICE INDICATED THAT SHE WAS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR POS. PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE WE HAD INADVERTENTLY DEPARTED FROM OUR ROUTE. OUR CLRNC WAS BAF-HFD-V58-SALEM INTXN-DIRECT NATLE-J174 AS FILED. WE MISREAD THE CLRNC AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO NATLE AFTER HFD. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE WE WERE BACK ON OUR ORIGINAL ROUTE AT LEAST 30 NM BEFORE THIS INCIDENT.

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.