An air carrier flight crew in a 3 engine turbojet were cleared to FL260 in error by the ARTCC controller. The controller had them descend before a serious conflict occurred.

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Attributes
ACN	432762
Time
Date	199903
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 25500 msl bound upper : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	432762
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	432854
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Climbing out of pit on mar/xa/99 bound for ord, after a couple of step-climbs we were given a climb to FL260. Out of FL255, I noticed on TCASII 12 O'clock traffic and 30 mi at FL260. As I looked to the captain, ATC came over the air and asked us to confirm level at FL250. The captain responded 'negative, out of FL255 for FL260.' the controller returned, 'descend now FL250.' after executing an immediate descent to FL250, the conflicting traffic flew overhead at FL260. The captain asked the controller if he was going to pull the tapes to confirm the communication between us, and the controller replied it wasn't necessary -- that the proximity wasn't that close. The captain, so and I queried each other and considered the altitude, FL260, that was set in our altitude selector window to be correct and accurate. However, in this job place, with so many altitudes that are selected each flight, each day, each pairing, we were not 100% sure of ours. The captain contacted the ATC supervisor that day from ord and it was determined from the tapes that the controller did assign FL260.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC IN A 3 ENG TURBOJET WERE CLRED TO FL260 IN ERROR BY THE ARTCC CTLR. THE CTLR HAD THEM DSND BEFORE A SERIOUS CONFLICT OCCURRED.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF PIT ON MAR/XA/99 BOUND FOR ORD, AFTER A COUPLE OF STEP-CLBS WE WERE GIVEN A CLB TO FL260. OUT OF FL255, I NOTICED ON TCASII 12 O'CLOCK TFC AND 30 MI AT FL260. AS I LOOKED TO THE CAPT, ATC CAME OVER THE AIR AND ASKED US TO CONFIRM LEVEL AT FL250. THE CAPT RESPONDED 'NEGATIVE, OUT OF FL255 FOR FL260.' THE CTLR RETURNED, 'DSND NOW FL250.' AFTER EXECUTING AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO FL250, THE CONFLICTING TFC FLEW OVERHEAD AT FL260. THE CAPT ASKED THE CTLR IF HE WAS GOING TO PULL THE TAPES TO CONFIRM THE COM BTWN US, AND THE CTLR REPLIED IT WASN'T NECESSARY -- THAT THE PROX WASN'T THAT CLOSE. THE CAPT, SO AND I QUERIED EACH OTHER AND CONSIDERED THE ALT, FL260, THAT WAS SET IN OUR ALT SELECTOR WINDOW TO BE CORRECT AND ACCURATE. HOWEVER, IN THIS JOB PLACE, WITH SO MANY ALTS THAT ARE SELECTED EACH FLT, EACH DAY, EACH PAIRING, WE WERE NOT 100% SURE OF OURS. THE CAPT CONTACTED THE ATC SUPVR THAT DAY FROM ORD AND IT WAS DETERMINED FROM THE TAPES THAT THE CTLR DID ASSIGN FL260.

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.