CLRNC CONFUSION ON DEP FROM DCA; VA.

Narrative

CLRED BY DCA DEP; 118.95; TO CLB TO 11000 FT; HDG 270 DEGS AND 230 KIAS. SWITCHED TO DCA DEP; 121.05; AND CLRED TO FL190. PASSING 15000 FT; TOLD TO RESUME NORMAL SPD. MANY ACFT IN THE AREA DUE TO LINE OF CUMULO NIMBUS FROM OKLAHOMA TO EAST COAST. MOST WBOUND ACFT GOING SW OF NORMAL ROUTING; INCLUDING US. AS WE APCHED FL180; WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA FROM ACFT AT 10 MI AND FL190. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME; DCA DEP INSTRUCTED US TO TURN 20 DEGS L; AND SAID WE WERE WELL N OF FLUKY. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND RESPONDED OUR LAST ASSIGNED WAS HDG 270 DEGS. DCA DEP THEN SAID; 'NOT SURE WHAT YOU ARE DOING -- I THOUGHT I GAVE YOU DIRECT FLUKY; WELL MAYBE NOT; TURN 30 DEGS L AND INTERCEPT THE DCA 246 DEG RADIAL.' THE TA ACFT PASSED ABOUT 5 MI TO OUR R AND 500 FT ABOVE US. NO OTHER XMISSIONS WERE MADE RELATIVE TO THIS INCIDENT -- IT IS WE WERE CLRED DIRECT FLUKY AS NEITHER PLT HEARD NOR RESPONDED TO ANY SUCH CLRNC. ALSO; WE WERE A 'NO GPS' AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCEPT THE CLRNC. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT; THERE WERE MANY ACFT IN THE AREA AND MANY RADIO XMISSIONS DUE TO ACFT DIVERTING AROUND THE LINE OF CUMULO NIMBUS. DCA DEP; 121.05; MAY HAVE ASSUMED WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT BY THE PREVIOUS CTLR OR THE HVY VOLUME OF TFC MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. BOTTOM LINE IS TFC SEPARATION APPEARED TO BE MAINTAINED AND DCA DEP RECOGNIZED THE SIT AND MADE CORRECTIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 476560: LATER; CTLR SAID ON THE RADIO HE DID NOT THINK HE HAD CLRED US TO FLUKY. WE NEVER RECEIVED NOR COULD WE ACCEPT A CLRNC TO FLUKY.