Narrative:

Flight from jfk to dtw was cleared to cross aylmer (yqo) at FL280. Flight continued to cruise at FL390. ZOB made a hurried call for flight to descend to FL310 'now' for crossing traffic. Descent was started and at FL315, a TA was issued by TCASII and at FL308 an RA was issued by TCASII. Flight was leveled off immediately and a look at the TCASII situation showed another aircraft at 9-10 O'clock 6-7 mi away. There was a discussion with ZOB and it appeared the controller had forgotten the clearance to cross yqo at FL280. In discussions with quality assurance at FAA the following day, they stated that after reviewing the tapes it was determined to be a controller error, but that it was not an incident because the aircraft, which were on approximately parallel courses, never were within 5 NM of each other. This miscom could have been prevented by either restating or repeating the clearance to cross aylmer at FL280 at the time the 'start descent now' call was made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AVOIDED BY A COMBINATION OF TCASII RA AND ARTCC RADAR CTLR'S VIGILANCE IN PROB WITH CLRNC INTERP BY FLC. DSNDING TFC.

Narrative: FLT FROM JFK TO DTW WAS CLRED TO CROSS AYLMER (YQO) AT FL280. FLT CONTINUED TO CRUISE AT FL390. ZOB MADE A HURRIED CALL FOR FLT TO DSND TO FL310 'NOW' FOR XING TFC. DSCNT WAS STARTED AND AT FL315, A TA WAS ISSUED BY TCASII AND AT FL308 AN RA WAS ISSUED BY TCASII. FLT WAS LEVELED OFF IMMEDIATELY AND A LOOK AT THE TCASII SIT SHOWED ANOTHER ACFT AT 9-10 O'CLOCK 6-7 MI AWAY. THERE WAS A DISCUSSION WITH ZOB AND IT APPEARED THE CTLR HAD FORGOTTEN THE CLRNC TO CROSS YQO AT FL280. IN DISCUSSIONS WITH QUALITY ASSURANCE AT FAA THE FOLLOWING DAY, THEY STATED THAT AFTER REVIEWING THE TAPES IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CTLR ERROR, BUT THAT IT WAS NOT AN INCIDENT BECAUSE THE ACFT, WHICH WERE ON APPROX PARALLEL COURSES, NEVER WERE WITHIN 5 NM OF EACH OTHER. THIS MISCOM COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY EITHER RESTATING OR REPEATING THE CLRNC TO CROSS AYLMER AT FL280 AT THE TIME THE 'START DSCNT NOW' CALL WAS MADE.

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.