ACR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC TCASII RA HAD LTSS FROM A-320 EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN.

Narrative

ACR X CLBING OUT OF DTW ON A 050 DEG HDG AND CLRED TO 10000 FT; FO FLYING; THE CAPT NOTICED AN A-320 AIRBUS AT THE 9 O'CLOCK POS; SIMILAR ALT. BOTH ACFT WERE ABOVE AN OVCST; IN THE CLR. THE TCASII ISSUED A TA INDICATING THE INTRUDER 400 FT ABOVE. THE FO BEGAN A LEVEL-OFF TO MAINTAIN ALT SEPARATION BELOW THE INTRUDER AND TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT. RADIO CONTACT WAS NOT ESTABLISHED WITH THE DEP CTLR AT THIS POINT BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION. A NOISY CAPT'S WINDSCREEN ALSO MADE COM MORE DIFFICULT. THE INTRUDER ACFT BEGAN A TURN TOWARD OUR ACFT; AND THE TCASII ISSUED AN RA INSTRUCTION TO MONITOR VERT SPD; AND THEN TO CLB. THE CAPT SAID TO COMPLY WITH THE TCASII AND THE FO RESUMED THE CLB. AT THIS POINT; THE A-320 WAS AT APPROX THE 12 O'CLOCK POS AND INITIATING A DSCNT. THE POINT OF MINIMUM HORIZ SEPARATION SEEMED TO BE AT LEAST 1000 FT. SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION; THERE WAS NO DANGER OF A COLLISION. RADIO CONTACT WITH DEP CTL WAS NOT ESTABLISHED UNTIL AFTER THE ENCOUNTER BECAUSE OF THE FREQ CONGESTION. AT THAT TIME WE WERE ADVISED TO CHK XPONDER SET TO XX13. IT WAS INADVERTENTLY SET TO XX31. I RECALL DOUBLE-CHKING THE CODE SET WITH THE PDC ON ACARS PRIOR TO TKOF. EVIDENTLY; I TWICE TRANSPOSED THE DIGITS IN MY MIND. NEITHER OF THE OTHER 2 PLTS CAUGHT THE ERROR EITHER; ALTHOUGH COMPANY POLICY IS TO HAVE IT XCHKED. THE A-320 DEPARTED RWY 3L ASSIGNED HDG 030 DEGS (ACCORDING TO THE DTW ATC SUPVR WE TELEPHONED AFTER ARR IN NASHVILLE). OUR ACFT DEPARTED 3C ASSIGNED HDG 050 DEGS. THE INCIDENT STRESSED TO ME THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING THE TRANSPONDER CODE CORRECTLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 285142: WHILE CLBING OUT OF DTW ON A 050 DEG HDG; CLRED TO 10000 FT. THE FO FLYING; THE CAPT NOTICED AN A-320 ACFT AT 9 O'CLOCK POS; SIMILAR ALT. THE TCASII ISSUED A TA INDICATING THE INTRUDER 400 FT ABOVE. THE FO BEGAN A LEVEL OFF TO MAINTAIN ALT SEPARATION BELOW THE INTRUDER AND MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT. RADIO CONTACT WAS NOT ESTABLISHED WITH THE DEP CTLR BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION. A NOISY CAPTS WINDSCREEN ALSO MADE COM MORE DIFFICULT. THE INTRUDER ACFT BEGAN A TURN TOWARD OUR ACFT; AND THE TCASII ISSUED AN RA INSTRUCTION TO MONITOR VERT SPD; AND THEN TO CLB. THE CAPT SAID TO COMPLY WITH THE TCASII AND THE FO RESUMED THE CLB. AT THIS POINT THE INTRUDER WAS AT APPROX THE 12 O'CLOCK POS AND INITIATING A DSCNT. THE CONFLICT OCCURRED ABOVE AN OVCST IN VMC. THE POINT OF MIN HORIZ SEPARATION SEEMED TO BE AT LEAST 1000 FT. SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. THERE WAS NO DANGER OF COLLISION. RADIO CONTACT WITH DEP CTL WAS NOT ESTABLISHED UNTIL AFTER THE ENCOUNTER BECAUSE OF THE FREQ CONGESTION. AT THAT TIME; WE WERE ADVISED TO CHK XPONDER CODE SET TO XY13. IT WAS INADVERTENTLY SET TO XY31. A SUBSEQUENT TELEPHONE CALL TO DTW ATC SUPVR REVEALED THAT THE A-320 DEPARTED RWY 3L ASSIGNED HDG 030 DEGS. OUR ACFT DEPARTED 3C ASSIGNED HDG 050 DEGS.