Narrative:

Heading sbound (180 degrees) toward jan. Cleared by ZME to descend out of cruise altitude (FL330) down to FL240. Acknowledged and began descent. Approaching FL320, ZME gave command to immediately climb to FL330 followed by a command to turn 90 degrees right. TCASII showed another aircraft 900 ft below our altitude of FL320 and about 4 NM off our left wing. Visual of this aircraft showed him heading about 270 degrees. We immediately climbed back to FL330 and turned right. Following this maneuver, ZME cleared us back toward jan at FL330. When we queried him about lower altitude he said to expect descent to FL240 in about 1 min for traffic below us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AMENDED CLRNC ALT CHANGE PLACES ACR MLG WITHIN 4 MI AND 900 FT OF A XING ACR ACFT. CTLR REALIZES ERROR AND ISSUES CLB TURN INSTRUCTIONS TO ACR X AND DSCNT TURN TO ACR Y.

Narrative: HDG SBOUND (180 DEGS) TOWARD JAN. CLRED BY ZME TO DSND OUT OF CRUISE ALT (FL330) DOWN TO FL240. ACKNOWLEDGED AND BEGAN DSCNT. APCHING FL320, ZME GAVE COMMAND TO IMMEDIATELY CLB TO FL330 FOLLOWED BY A COMMAND TO TURN 90 DEGS R. TCASII SHOWED ANOTHER ACFT 900 FT BELOW OUR ALT OF FL320 AND ABOUT 4 NM OFF OUR L WING. VISUAL OF THIS ACFT SHOWED HIM HDG ABOUT 270 DEGS. WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO FL330 AND TURNED R. FOLLOWING THIS MANEUVER, ZME CLRED US BACK TOWARD JAN AT FL330. WHEN WE QUERIED HIM ABOUT LOWER ALT HE SAID TO EXPECT DSCNT TO FL240 IN ABOUT 1 MIN FOR TFC BELOW US.

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.