B747 TCASII TA climb through occupied altitude had less than standard separation from air carrier Y....

Attributes
ACN	296772
Time
Date	199502
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sbre
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : sbre tower : jfk
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 4800
ASRS Report	296772
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 35000 vertical : 1300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

At approximately XA48 UTC, while calculating fuel burn for our next fix (polda intersection approximately XA53 UTC) captain requested 'climb thrust,' after receiving climb clearance from recife center, 'cleared from FL310 to FL350 report leaving and reaching FL350,' after leaving 31500 ft another air carrier Y was sighted at our 10-11 O'clock position 15-20 mi and approximately 4-5 mi left of our track we turned on all lights but received no acknowledgement from other aircraft, we then leveled off at approximately 31700 ft. Noting that opposite direction traffic was now visible on TCASII indicating FL330 we then inquired recife center about this traffic at which time he changed climb clearance to 'descend to FL310.' once informed that we were now clear of traffic, he once again amended clearance to climb to FL350.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 TCASII TA CLB THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA48 UTC, WHILE CALCULATING FUEL BURN FOR OUR NEXT FIX (POLDA INTXN APPROX XA53 UTC) CAPT REQUESTED 'CLB THRUST,' AFTER RECEIVING CLB CLRNC FROM RECIFE CTR, 'CLRED FROM FL310 TO FL350 RPT LEAVING AND REACHING FL350,' AFTER LEAVING 31500 FT ANOTHER ACR Y WAS SIGHTED AT OUR 10-11 O'CLOCK POS 15-20 MI AND APPROX 4-5 MI L OF OUR TRACK WE TURNED ON ALL LIGHTS BUT RECEIVED NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM OTHER ACFT, WE THEN LEVELED OFF AT APPROX 31700 FT. NOTING THAT OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC WAS NOW VISIBLE ON TCASII INDICATING FL330 WE THEN INQUIRED RECIFE CTR ABOUT THIS TFC AT WHICH TIME HE CHANGED CLB CLRNC TO 'DSND TO FL310.' ONCE INFORMED THAT WE WERE NOW CLR OF TFC, HE ONCE AGAIN AMENDED CLRNC TO CLB TO FL350.

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.

B747 TCASII TA climb through occupied altitude had less than standard separation from air carrier Y. System error.