A LEAR FLC CLBS TO AND THROUGH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC'S ALT WHEN THE PIC MISUNDERSTANDS THE CTR CTLR'S XMISSION.

Narrative

ON DEC/XA/98; I WAS PERFORMING COPLT DUTIES IN A LEARJET WHILE ON A FLT FROM VNY TO SAC. WE HAD FILED FOR FL350 BUT EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS INTERMEDIATE LEVELOFFS BY THE TIME WE REACHED FL280. ZLA ISSUED A TA OF 'TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK; 15 MI; FL290; EXPECT HIGHER ALT AFTER CLR OF THE TFC.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL. THE PF SAID TO ME; 'DID HE SAY FL290?' AND I ANSWERED; 'AFFIRMATIVE.' THE PF TOOK MY ANSWER TO MEAN THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO FL290 SINCE HE DID NOT REALIZE IT WAS A TA. HE CHANGED THE ALT ALERTER TO FL290 AND STARTED TO CLB. BECAUSE I WAS PERFORMING OTHER DUTIES; I DID NOT NOTICE THE NEW ALERT ALT OR THE CLB. CTR THEN SAID; 'SAY YOUR ALT.' I SAW WE WERE 1000 FT TOO HIGH AND SAID; 'TAKE IT DOWN' TO THE PF. BOTH OF US PUSHED FORWARD ON THE YOKE AND I ANSWERED TO CTR THAT WE WERE AT FL285 AND DSNDING. AT THAT TIME I VISUALLY PICKED UP THE OPPOSING TFC AT 12:30 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 5 MI. SINCE THE TFC WAS ALSO DSNDING TO AVOID OUR ALT; WE DID AN IMMEDIATE LEVELOFF AND LET THE TFC STAY BELOW US AND PASS OFF OUR R WING. AFTER CLR OF THE TFC; CTR CLRED US TO FL310 AND ASKED US TO CONTACT THEM BY TELEPHONE AFTER LNDG; WHICH WE DID. I BELIEVE THE NUMEROUS INTERMEDIATE LEVELOFFS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. THE PF WHO DID NOT HEAR THE TA THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS ANOTHER 1000 FT CLB IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING TO FL350. HE SAW THAT I WAS BUSY WITH OTHER DUTIES AND CHANGED THE ALT ALERTER FOR ME. BECAUSE HE LEVELED OFF AT FL280 AT CLB SPD; HE KEPT A HIGH PWR SETTING TO BUILD AIRSPD BEFORE THE NEXT CLB SO I DID NOT DETECT A PWR CHANGE WHEN HE STARTED THE CLB. AFTER THIS OCCURRENCE; WE HAVE A NEW PROC WHERE ONLY THE PNF SETS THE ALT ALERTER. IF THE PF BELIEVES IT HAS BEEN SET INCORRECTLY; THEN HE QUESTIONS THE PNF BEFORE CHANGING ALT. IF THERE IS STILL A QUESTION THEN WE WOULD RECHK WITH THE CTLING AGENCY OR CHARTS AS NECESSARY.