TURNS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION; AN URGENT TONE IN CTLR'S VOICE FOLLOWED BY A CTLR REPLACEMENT LEAD CREW TO BELIEVE THERE WAS A TFC CONFLICT BEING RESOLVED. SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICATION INDICATED THEY HAD TURNED ORIGINALLY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

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ZMP GAVE US A L TURN TO AVOID TFC. THE TURN WAS OF A SPECIFIED NUMBER OF DEGS THAT I HAVE SINCE FORGOTTEN. SHORTLY AFTER WE COMPLETED THE TURN; ATC FORCEFULLY ASKED US TO TURN R AT LEAST DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF DEGS WE ORIGINALLY TURNED L. IT WAS CLR BY THE STRENGTH OF THE VOICE THAT THERE WAS A CONFLICT TO BE RESOLVED. HE EXPEDITIOUSLY MADE THE TURN. I DO NOT RECALL ANY TCASII WARNINGS; BUT THE FO AND I CLRLY COULD TELL BY THE CTLR'S TONE THAT AT LEAST HE FELT WE WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE TFC. THE FO AND I THEN NOTICED THAT A NEW CTLR'S VOICE WAS ON THE RADIO; AND HE REMARKED THAT SOMEBODY WAS HAVING A BAD DAY. WE ALSO FELT THAT 'NO HARM; NO FOUL;' SO WE DIDN'T QUERY ATC AS TO WHAT HAPPENED. ALSO; ATC NEVER SAID TO US THAT WE DID ANYTHING WRONG. AT THE TIME; I KNOW THAT I THOUGHT WE DID NOTHING IN ERROR AND I BELIEVE ATC DID AS WELL. WELL; ON AUG/WED/00; I HAD CONTACT WITH AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO SAYS THAT FOR THE INITIAL TURN; MY FO READ BACK A TURN TO THE R AND YET I AS PF TURNED TO THE L (THE WRONG DIRECTION TO THE AVOID THE CONFLICT). IF THIS IS TRUE; I SIMPLY DO NOT REMEMBER IT HAPPENING THAT WAY. THE ENTIRE INCIDENT WAS ENTIRELY UNEVENTFUL AT THE TIME OTHER THAN THE RAISED TONE AND CHANGE OF CTLR. BECAUSE WE AS A CREW DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A QUESTION OF OUR ACTIONS; I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT MY PART WAS IN THE INCIDENT UNTIL I SPOKE TO THE FAA INSPECTOR SOME WKS LATER. AS FOR WHAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THIS SIT I REALLY DON'T KNOW. I DO THINK THAT CTLRS SHOULD ADD A SPECIFIC HEADING TO THEIR DIRECTION OF TURNS; AND PLTS SHOULD READ BACK THE FINAL HEADING WHEN GIVEN A TURN. THIS WOULD ALLOW BOTH CTLRS AND PLTS TO DOUBLE-CHK EACH OTHER. IF WE DID IN FACT TURN THE WRONG WAY AFTER READING BACK THE CORRECT TURN; I AM AT FAULT FOR NOT VERIFYING WITH THE FO OR ATC THE DIRECTION IF I HAD ANY DOUBTS. I DON'T REMEMBER HAVING ANY; HOWEVER. THE FO SHOULD HAVE ALSO CAUGHT AND INFORMED ME OF MY WRONG DIRECTION TURN. THIS ALSO COULD HAVE CORRECTED THE PROB. IN THE END; ATC DID THEIR JOB BY GETTING US OUT OF THE WAY OF THAT TFC AND FORCEFULLY CORRECTING WHOEVER'S ERROR IT WAS.