Narrative:

9/90, I was flying first officer on a flight from dtw to iah. I was flying this particular leg, and the captain was operating the radios. At FL350, approximately 40 mi south of little rock, ar, we were assigned a radar vector of 185 degree just off of J80. We were working with ZME at the time and were assigned a new frequency of 132-12, check in was normal. Several mins later, the captain and I noticed a wide body airliner at our eleven O'clock position opp direction at what looked like FL350 in a right turn. I would estimate the distance to have been 3 mi. I immediately attempted to call ZME on 132-12 on our #1 communication radio and noticed it had inadvertently been selected to 135-12 by the captain. Contact was made on 132-12, which was in the #2 communication radio with the receiver selector in the 'off' position. Center advised that they had been trying to contact us because of conflicting traffic. Captain's irregularity report was filed upon landing. We took evasive action based upon the visibility sighting and would not have considered this to be a near miss unless center had so advised. Since we were unable to discuss the event with center, I don't know what the other factors were that contributed to the conflict. As for my part, I should have verified that we were, in fact, transmitting and receiving on the assigned frequency of 132-12 on the #1 communication radio. In the future, I will confirm all radio communications regardless of whose leg it is and who is working the radios. I also feel the wide body aircraft in question was at the wrong altitude for direction of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER ACR ACFT OPPOSITE DIRECTION. REPORTER WAS NOT COMMUNICATING WITH ARTCC. FLT CREW HAD SELECTED THE WRONG FREQ.

Narrative: 9/90, I WAS FLYING F/O ON A FLT FROM DTW TO IAH. I WAS FLYING THIS PARTICULAR LEG, AND THE CAPT WAS OPERATING THE RADIOS. AT FL350, APPROX 40 MI S OF LITTLE ROCK, AR, WE WERE ASSIGNED A RADAR VECTOR OF 185 DEG JUST OFF OF J80. WE WERE WORKING WITH ZME AT THE TIME AND WERE ASSIGNED A NEW FREQ OF 132-12, CHK IN WAS NORMAL. SEVERAL MINS LATER, THE CAPT AND I NOTICED A WIDE BODY AIRLINER AT OUR ELEVEN O'CLOCK POS OPP DIRECTION AT WHAT LOOKED LIKE FL350 IN A R TURN. I WOULD ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE TO HAVE BEEN 3 MI. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO CALL ZME ON 132-12 ON OUR #1 COM RADIO AND NOTICED IT HAD INADVERTENTLY BEEN SELECTED TO 135-12 BY THE CAPT. CONTACT WAS MADE ON 132-12, WHICH WAS IN THE #2 COM RADIO WITH THE RECEIVER SELECTOR IN THE 'OFF' POS. CTR ADVISED THAT THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT US BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TFC. CAPT'S IRREGULARITY RPT WAS FILED UPON LNDG. WE TOOK EVASIVE ACTION BASED UPON THE VIS SIGHTING AND WOULD NOT HAVE CONSIDERED THIS TO BE A NEAR MISS UNLESS CTR HAD SO ADVISED. SINCE WE WERE UNABLE TO DISCUSS THE EVENT WITH CTR, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OTHER FACTORS WERE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFLICT. AS FOR MY PART, I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED THAT WE WERE, IN FACT, XMITTING AND RECEIVING ON THE ASSIGNED FREQ OF 132-12 ON THE #1 COM RADIO. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL CONFIRM ALL RADIO COMS REGARDLESS OF WHOSE LEG IT IS AND WHO IS WORKING THE RADIOS. I ALSO FEEL THE WIDE BODY ACFT IN QUESTION WAS AT THE WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT.

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