B767 IS CLBED IN ERROR INTO A CONFLICT WITH A B747.

Narrative

ON FLT ORY-JFK; I; AS THE COPLT; WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND THE CAPT WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. WE WERE LEAVING FRENCH AIRSPACE FOR BRITISH CTL NBOUND AND ABOUT 20 NM S OF BNE; WE CHKED IN AT FL280. THE BRITISH CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED AND CLRED US TO 'MAINTAIN FL310; AND RTE BNE-BPK-TNT VIA VB4.' I CONFIRMED WITH THE CAPT THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FL310. I SELECTED FL310 ON THE MODE CTL PANEL AND INITIATED THE AUTOPLT CLB. SHORTLY AFTER CLBING THROUGH FL300 I SAW AN ACR B ACFT AT OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS SLIGHTLY HIGH. BOTH ACFT WERE NOW ON THE SAME FREQ. WE HEARD ACR B QUESTIONING THE CTLR ABOUT THE CLOSING PROX OF OUR ACFT. AT FL304 I STARTED EVASIVE PROCS BY DISCONNECTING THE AUTOPLT TURNING L AND CONVERTING THE CLB TO A DSCNT. ACR B WAS AT FL310. MY CLB REVERSED TO A DSCNT BY FL307. TCASII WAS NOW ACTIVE WITH CONFLICT AND RA. DURING THIS TIME THE CONFUSED CTLR HAD GIVEN A NEW CLRNC TO STEER HDG 350 DEGS AND MAINTAIN FL290; THAT HDG OF 350 DEGS WAS NOT A CHANGE AND INADEQUATE SINCE I HAD ALREADY TAKEN UP A HDG OF 330 DEGS WHILE DSNDING TO FL290. A DIFFERENT CTLR THEN CLRED US AGAIN TO MAINTAIN FL290 AND DIRECT TO BNE. ACR B; WHILE MAINTAINING FL310; HAD STARTED A R TURN TO ASSURE SEPARATION. PLTS OF BOTH ACFT WERE VISUAL WITH VISUAL CONTACT. ON OUR ARR JFK THE CAPT WAS ADVISED THAT LONDON ATC HAD ACCEPTED FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS EPISODE.