Narrative:

Climbing to cruise altitude we were cleared to FL230 by a busy controller. Both the copilot and I questioned to ourselves why this was as I had filed FL210. Upon switching to the next controller we were passing through FL210 climbing to FL230, at FL210 the controller advised traffic 12 O'clock, 15 mi, 1000 ft above us. We acknowledged and then at 21900 ft the controller asked our altitude and then said to turn right to 220 degrees and descend to FL210. We did same and continued flight at FL210. We were advised that the conflicting traffic was at FL220.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ASSIGNED ALT BY 1 CTLR, QUESTIONED BY ANOTHER DUE TFC ABOVE.

Narrative: CLBING TO CRUISE ALT WE WERE CLRED TO FL230 BY A BUSY CTLR. BOTH THE COPLT AND I QUESTIONED TO OURSELVES WHY THIS WAS AS I HAD FILED FL210. UPON SWITCHING TO THE NEXT CTLR WE WERE PASSING THROUGH FL210 CLBING TO FL230, AT FL210 THE CTLR ADVISED TFC 12 O'CLOCK, 15 MI, 1000 FT ABOVE US. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND THEN AT 21900 FT THE CTLR ASKED OUR ALT AND THEN SAID TO TURN R TO 220 DEGS AND DSND TO FL210. WE DID SAME AND CONTINUED FLT AT FL210. WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE CONFLICTING TFC WAS AT FL220.

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.