Narrative:

I called ATC to ask for lower altitude [we were at FL350] to cross hayed at FL180. ATC then cleared me direct to sweet intersection and cross at 9000 ft. About 1 min later, ATC said 'make a hard turn to the left 050 degrees.' we thought he said turn right 050 degrees. I thought it was strange, but started the turn. ATC was very rattled and, it seemed, spoke very fast. (We read back turn right also.) when ATC cleared us direct to sweet, he set up a traffic conflict of his own making and then got very excited about getting it fixed. Anyway, by turning right instead of left we came within 5 mi of another aircraft. ATC also said they cleared us to 330 during the turn but neither I nor my copilot heard that part. Supplemental information from acn 539671: air carrier Y, below and behind us, climbing, was cleared only to FL330 but was climbing to FL370. Bells and whistles sounded in ZNY for the traffic conflict with our aircraft. Never saw or had TCASII alert with aircraft. Controller working our flight told us to make a tight right turn to 170 degrees. In the turn, asked us if we were in the tight left turn to 070 degrees. I said 'no, you told us turn right.' he said 'turn immediately left to 070 degrees and descend to FL330.' controller was now losing it when another controller came on and gave us a heading and altitude to FL290. Never had a TCASII warning or RA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT BTWN 2 ACR ACFT ENSUES ON ZNY FREQ DURING AN ALTDEV BY ONE AND A WRONG DIRECTION TURN BY THE OTHER WHILE 100 NM W OF HAYED INTXN, PA.

Narrative: I CALLED ATC TO ASK FOR LOWER ALT [WE WERE AT FL350] TO CROSS HAYED AT FL180. ATC THEN CLRED ME DIRECT TO SWEET INTXN AND CROSS AT 9000 FT. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, ATC SAID 'MAKE A HARD TURN TO THE L 050 DEGS.' WE THOUGHT HE SAID TURN R 050 DEGS. I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE, BUT STARTED THE TURN. ATC WAS VERY RATTLED AND, IT SEEMED, SPOKE VERY FAST. (WE READ BACK TURN R ALSO.) WHEN ATC CLRED US DIRECT TO SWEET, HE SET UP A TFC CONFLICT OF HIS OWN MAKING AND THEN GOT VERY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING IT FIXED. ANYWAY, BY TURNING R INSTEAD OF L WE CAME WITHIN 5 MI OF ANOTHER ACFT. ATC ALSO SAID THEY CLRED US TO 330 DURING THE TURN BUT NEITHER I NOR MY COPLT HEARD THAT PART. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 539671: ACR Y, BELOW AND BEHIND US, CLBING, WAS CLRED ONLY TO FL330 BUT WAS CLBING TO FL370. BELLS AND WHISTLES SOUNDED IN ZNY FOR THE TFC CONFLICT WITH OUR ACFT. NEVER SAW OR HAD TCASII ALERT WITH ACFT. CTLR WORKING OUR FLT TOLD US TO MAKE A TIGHT R TURN TO 170 DEGS. IN THE TURN, ASKED US IF WE WERE IN THE TIGHT L TURN TO 070 DEGS. I SAID 'NO, YOU TOLD US TURN R.' HE SAID 'TURN IMMEDIATELY L TO 070 DEGS AND DSND TO FL330.' CTLR WAS NOW LOSING IT WHEN ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON AND GAVE US A HDG AND ALT TO FL290. NEVER HAD A TCASII WARNING OR RA.

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.