Narrative:

Departed IFR from ttn. At 1500 ft in VFR conditions on top. Cancelled IFR with phl departure. Controller advised traffic at 11 O'clock position, 3000 ft. I called 'looking for traffic.' controller called back, 'traffic less than 1 mi, 11 O'clock position.' I called traffic 'not in sight.' controller then called 'previously called traffic, traffic alert, 11 O'clock position, correction 1 O'clock position.' I called traffic in sight, determined traffic did not pose an imminent hazard. Controller called back and stated that I caused a conflict. I advised controller traffic not a hazard, however confusion was caused by her incorrect call, twice, of the traffic at 11 O'clock position, when it was actually at 1 O'clock position. Controller stated, 'but I corrected it to 1 O'clock position.' I already had traffic in sight at that point because I looked elsewhere when I did not see it at position called. I believe this error occurred due to spatial orientation confusion on part of controller and cannot suggest ways to prevent a recurrence, short of additional training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL APCH CTLR INCORRECTLY ISSUES TFC TWICE AT 11 O'CLOCK POS TO A BE10 PLT ON AN ACFT THAT WAS ON A CONVERGING COURSE AT 1 O'CLOCK POS.

Narrative: DEPARTED IFR FROM TTN. AT 1500 FT IN VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP. CANCELLED IFR WITH PHL DEP. CTLR ADVISED TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK POS, 3000 FT. I CALLED 'LOOKING FOR TFC.' CTLR CALLED BACK, 'TFC LESS THAN 1 MI, 11 O'CLOCK POS.' I CALLED TFC 'NOT IN SIGHT.' CTLR THEN CALLED 'PREVIOUSLY CALLED TFC, TFC ALERT, 11 O'CLOCK POS, CORRECTION 1 O'CLOCK POS.' I CALLED TFC IN SIGHT, DETERMINED TFC DID NOT POSE AN IMMINENT HAZARD. CTLR CALLED BACK AND STATED THAT I CAUSED A CONFLICT. I ADVISED CTLR TFC NOT A HAZARD, HOWEVER CONFUSION WAS CAUSED BY HER INCORRECT CALL, TWICE, OF THE TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK POS, WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY AT 1 O'CLOCK POS. CTLR STATED, 'BUT I CORRECTED IT TO 1 O'CLOCK POS.' I ALREADY HAD TFC IN SIGHT AT THAT POINT BECAUSE I LOOKED ELSEWHERE WHEN I DID NOT SEE IT AT POS CALLED. I BELIEVE THIS ERROR OCCURRED DUE TO SPATIAL ORIENTATION CONFUSION ON PART OF CTLR AND CANNOT SUGGEST WAYS TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, SHORT OF ADDITIONAL TRAINING.

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.