A CL65 FLC CLBS OUT OF FL280 IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC TO FL330; BUT RECEIVED A TCASII RA TO DSND TO AVOID AN ACR ACFT XING ABOVE AT FL290 NEAR VHP; IN. ZID; IN.

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ON MAR/XA/00 I WAS FLYING FROM ORD TO ROA. OUR FILED CRUISE ALT WAS FL370. WHEN WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZID WE WERE AT FL280 AND HAD REQUESTED FL310 AS OUR FINAL ALT. AS WE APCHED THE IND VOR; BOTH MY FO AND I THOUGHT WE HEARD A CLRNC FOR US TO CLB TO FL330 AND EXPECT HIGHER SOON THEREAFTER. I THEN ASKED CTR TO CONFIRM THIS BY STATING 'PLEASE SAY AGAIN FOR ACR X.' WE THEN HEARD CTR SAY 'CLB AND MAINTAIN FL330 AND EXPECT HIGHER SOON.' I THEN XMITTED 'CLB FL330 ACR X.' AS WE PASSED FL285; WE RECEIVED AN RA INSTRUCTING US TO DSND. I BELIEVE IT WAS AN ACR ACFT THAT WAS APCHING FROM OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS AT FL290 THAT CAUSED THE CONFLICT. THEY HAD NOTIFIED ATC THAT THEY HAD STARTED A CLB TO AVOID THE CONFLICT. WE STOPPED OUR CLB AT FL285 AND DSNDED BACK TO FL280 AS ATC ASKED US OUR ALT AND INSTRUCTED US TO RETURN TO FL280. ATC THEN ASKED US WHEN WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO FL330. I THEN TOLD ATC 'LESS THAN 1 MIN AGO.' AFTER REACHING ROA; I WAS TOLD TO CALL ZID 'QUALITY AND ASSURANCE;' WHICH I DID. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT PULLED BACK TO SAY THAT WHEN CALLING THE QUALITY ASSURANCE SECTION OF ZID HE WAS TOLD THAT THE FACILITY CHIEF COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE BOGUS CLRNC TO FL330 BUT WOULD FORWARD THE INFO TO THE LCL FSDO OFFICE. HE HAS NOW RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM THE LCL FSDO REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. HE HAS ALSO CONTACTED COMPANY AND THE UNION LEGAL OFFICE. WHEN ASKED WHY THE CLB TO A NON REQUESTED ALT WASN'T QUESTIONED; HE STATED THAT THERE WAS CHOP AT FL280 AND HE FELT THAT FL330 WOULD PROVIDE A BETTER RIDE SO DISCOUNTED ANY CHALLENGE TO IT. HE ADMITS TO NOT HEARING HIS FLT NAME AND NUMBER PRIOR TO THE INITIAL AND SUCCEEDING CLRNC. WHEN ASKED IF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FREQ BLEED THROUGH SIT; HE AGREED WITH THE POSSIBILITY. HE STATED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED FREQUENTLY ON THIS ACFT AND IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS -- MOSTLY ON ZID FREQS AND ALSO NEAR THE RALEIGH-DURHAM/DULLES REGIONS. HE HAS PROMISED TO DOCUMENT ANY FUTURE OCCURRENCES OF THIS TYPE. THE ACR IS EXPERIENCING TOO MANY ALTS EXCURSIONS RECENTLY; BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN CONNECTION WITH A POSSIBLE BLEED THROUGH PROB ON THE ACFT.