B747 flight crew misinterprets clearance and turns wrong way causing a TCASII RA while en route.

Attributes
ACN	591007
Time
Date	200308
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : dbl.vor
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 37000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	591007
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were company flight XXX. The captain is flying and I'm on the radios, level FL370, VFR, LNAV, and VNAV and autoplt connected. Captain gets up to stretch his legs and turns his speaker on, I'm flying and on the radios. ZDV asks me to turn 40 degrees to what I thought was left and I confirm 40 degrees to the left, or at least that's what both the captain and myself thought I read back. We were heading 057 degrees and as I was reading back I was turing to new heading 017 degrees. We were on this heading for at least 2 mins when the controller asked me if I was on a right turn. I said no. We turned left. He said turn further left to 340 degrees and expedite. I was doing that when we got a TCASII RA 'descend,' I immediately disconnected the autoplt and followed the RA precisely while turning, then we received a clear of conflict. The captain by this time in his seat had advised ATC that we were following an RA. We then climbed back to FL370 were given heading and changed controller, then were given phone number for ZDV to call. They said we were on tape as saying right and turning left and were 500 ft and 2 mi separation from ZZZ.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 FLT CREW MISINTERPRETS CLRNC AND TURNS WRONG WAY CAUSING A TCASII RA WHILE ENRTE.

Narrative: WE WERE COMPANY FLT XXX. THE CAPT IS FLYING AND I'M ON THE RADIOS, LEVEL FL370, VFR, LNAV, AND VNAV AND AUTOPLT CONNECTED. CAPT GETS UP TO STRETCH HIS LEGS AND TURNS HIS SPEAKER ON, I'M FLYING AND ON THE RADIOS. ZDV ASKS ME TO TURN 40 DEGS TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS L AND I CONFIRM 40 DEGS TO THE L, OR AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF THOUGHT I READ BACK. WE WERE HEADING 057 DEGS AND AS I WAS READING BACK I WAS TURING TO NEW HEADING 017 DEGS. WE WERE ON THIS HEADING FOR AT LEAST 2 MINS WHEN THE CTLR ASKED ME IF I WAS ON A R TURN. I SAID NO. WE TURNED L. HE SAID TURN FURTHER L TO 340 DEGS AND EXPEDITE. I WAS DOING THAT WHEN WE GOT A TCASII RA 'DSND,' I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND FOLLOWED THE RA PRECISELY WHILE TURNING, THEN WE RECEIVED A CLR OF CONFLICT. THE CAPT BY THIS TIME IN HIS SEAT HAD ADVISED ATC THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING AN RA. WE THEN CLBED BACK TO FL370 WERE GIVEN HEADING AND CHANGED CTLR, THEN WERE GIVEN PHONE NUMBER FOR ZDV TO CALL. THEY SAID WE WERE ON TAPE AS SAYING R AND TURNING L AND WERE 500 FT AND 2 MI SEPARATION FROM ZZZ.

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.