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Air carrier medium large transport clearance response to wrong call sign. ARTCC radar controller caught the error on readback.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 133520 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199001 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cmh |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 133520 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
The specifics are not even important, as this situation occurs daily across the country. The controller was operating 2 VHF frequencys at the same time. An aircraft with a similar sounding call sign, on the other frequency, was given a clearance that we took to be ours. He couldn't hear us, and we couldn't hear him. We were oblivious to each other. Evidently, we both acknowledged receipt of the clearance, and fortunately the controller caught our mistake (this time). I hope the FAA can be persuaded to stop this practice before this eventually results in an accident. By using separate frequencys, it removes our ability to analyze the situation as it is taking place. Accidents rarely occur because of a single factor, but are usually a combination of factors. The combination of our mistake and a controller oversight could result in a potential conflict. Add a low altitude vectoring where terrain is a factor, or congested airspace in IMC, and we've all made the front page again. This practice of using two frequencys simultaneously needs to stop now!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR MLG CLRNC RESPONSE TO WRONG CALL SIGN. ARTCC RADAR CTLR CAUGHT THE ERROR ON READBACK.
Narrative: THE SPECIFICS ARE NOT EVEN IMPORTANT, AS THIS SITUATION OCCURS DAILY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE CTLR WAS OPERATING 2 VHF FREQS AT THE SAME TIME. AN ACFT WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN, ON THE OTHER FREQ, WAS GIVEN A CLRNC THAT WE TOOK TO BE OURS. HE COULDN'T HEAR US, AND WE COULDN'T HEAR HIM. WE WERE OBLIVIOUS TO EACH OTHER. EVIDENTLY, WE BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT OF THE CLRNC, AND FORTUNATELY THE CTLR CAUGHT OUR MISTAKE (THIS TIME). I HOPE THE FAA CAN BE PERSUADED TO STOP THIS PRACTICE BEFORE THIS EVENTUALLY RESULTS IN AN ACCIDENT. BY USING SEPARATE FREQS, IT REMOVES OUR ABILITY TO ANALYZE THE SITUATION AS IT IS TAKING PLACE. ACCIDENTS RARELY OCCUR BECAUSE OF A SINGLE FACTOR, BUT ARE USUALLY A COMBINATION OF FACTORS. THE COMBINATION OF OUR MISTAKE AND A CTLR OVERSIGHT COULD RESULT IN A POTENTIAL CONFLICT. ADD A LOW ALT VECTORING WHERE TERRAIN IS A FACTOR, OR CONGESTED AIRSPACE IN IMC, AND WE'VE ALL MADE THE FRONT PAGE AGAIN. THIS PRACTICE OF USING TWO FREQS SIMULTANEOUSLY NEEDS TO STOP NOW!
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.