Narrative:

Den center controller had given air carrier Y direct denver due to WX along our normal route (arrival gate) to denver. Level at 8000 ft, noticed air traffic head-on and closing fast, target stationary and increasing in size. Turned left to avoid traffic. Even though we were on IFR flight plan, descent was in good VFR and we avoided traffic easily. As traffic approached our 1:30 position, controller, who was characteristically silent, suddenly said 'air carrier X, immediate right turn 90 degrees.' of course, we could not execute this as this would have put us on collision course with the air carrier Y. We disregarded the controller's instructions and within a second he said 'immediate left turn 90 degrees,' by now air carrier had passed well behind us and was obviously not a factor. We told the controller we had air carrier in sight and that he was now at our 5 O'clock position, no factor. He then handed us off to denver approach. Factors causing the incident: 1) unusual routing to denver. Controller was busy with many diverting aircraft, but we were the only one he had cleared direct. 2) we should have been steered farther away from the medium large transport as we were still in center airspace and should have had 5 mi horizontal separation. 3) we should have asked controller about switching to den approach. 4) should have told controller we had traffic upon first contact.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X SAME ALT ASSIGNED. EVASIVE ACTION TURN. HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR. POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

Narrative: DEN CTR CTLR HAD GIVEN ACR Y DIRECT DENVER DUE TO WX ALONG OUR NORMAL RTE (ARR GATE) TO DENVER. LEVEL AT 8000 FT, NOTICED AIR TFC HEAD-ON AND CLOSING FAST, TARGET STATIONARY AND INCREASING IN SIZE. TURNED L TO AVOID TFC. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ON IFR FLT PLAN, DSCNT WAS IN GOOD VFR AND WE AVOIDED TFC EASILY. AS TFC APCHED OUR 1:30 POS, CTLR, WHO WAS CHARACTERISTICALLY SILENT, SUDDENLY SAID 'ACR X, IMMEDIATE R TURN 90 DEGS.' OF COURSE, WE COULD NOT EXECUTE THIS AS THIS WOULD HAVE PUT US ON COLLISION COURSE WITH THE ACR Y. WE DISREGARDED THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND WITHIN A SECOND HE SAID 'IMMEDIATE L TURN 90 DEGS,' BY NOW ACR HAD PASSED WELL BEHIND US AND WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT A FACTOR. WE TOLD THE CTLR WE HAD ACR IN SIGHT AND THAT HE WAS NOW AT OUR 5 O'CLOCK POS, NO FACTOR. HE THEN HANDED US OFF TO DENVER APCH. FACTORS CAUSING THE INCIDENT: 1) UNUSUAL ROUTING TO DENVER. CTLR WAS BUSY WITH MANY DIVERTING ACFT, BUT WE WERE THE ONLY ONE HE HAD CLRED DIRECT. 2) WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN STEERED FARTHER AWAY FROM THE MLG AS WE WERE STILL IN CTR AIRSPACE AND SHOULD HAVE HAD 5 MI HORIZ SEPARATION. 3) WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED CTLR ABOUT SWITCHING TO DEN APCH. 4) SHOULD HAVE TOLD CTLR WE HAD TFC UPON FIRST CONTACT.

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.