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Reporter pontificates on problems of similar flight numbers, identification, repeated transmissions to clarify, congested frequencys, misconstrued clrncs due to confusion of flight #'south by both controllers and flight crews.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 141553 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199003 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sjc |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : oak tower : sjc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 141553 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
A serious common call sigh confusion situation currently exists at sjc as X airlines expands its hub operation there. I am an X airlines first officer based in sjc. A good example of this problem occurred when I was crewing a flight from sjc to vancouver, canada. As we taxied out to depart we were joined on ground control and tower frequencys by flight X-A1 departing sjc for seattle, and flight X-2A arriving form pdx. All 3 are X airlines flts. Since flight # X-1A and flight X-2A are scheduled to depart 1 min apart on the same route northbound as far as seattle, we were on the same departure control and center frequencys for the whole flight. This created several confusing xmissions by all parties during the flight. No less than 4 times during the flight the air traffic controllers either used the wrong call sing or addressed the wrong aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: REPORTER PONTIFICATES ON PROBLEMS OF SIMILAR FLT NUMBERS, IDENTIFICATION, REPEATED TRANSMISSIONS TO CLARIFY, CONGESTED FREQS, MISCONSTRUED CLRNCS DUE TO CONFUSION OF FLT #'S BY BOTH CTLRS AND FLT CREWS.
Narrative: A SERIOUS COMMON CALL SIGH CONFUSION SITUATION CURRENTLY EXISTS AT SJC AS X AIRLINES EXPANDS ITS HUB OPERATION THERE. I AM AN X AIRLINES F/O BASED IN SJC. A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS PROB OCCURRED WHEN I WAS CREWING A FLT FROM SJC TO VANCOUVER, CANADA. AS WE TAXIED OUT TO DEPART WE WERE JOINED ON GND CTL AND TWR FREQS BY FLT X-A1 DEPARTING SJC FOR SEATTLE, AND FLT X-2A ARRIVING FORM PDX. ALL 3 ARE X AIRLINES FLTS. SINCE FLT # X-1A AND FLT X-2A ARE SCHEDULED TO DEPART 1 MIN APART ON THE SAME RTE NBOUND AS FAR AS SEATTLE, WE WERE ON THE SAME DEP CTL AND CENTER FREQS FOR THE WHOLE FLT. THIS CREATED SEVERAL CONFUSING XMISSIONS BY ALL PARTIES DURING THE FLT. NO LESS THAN 4 TIMES DURING THE FLT THE AIR TFC CTLRS EITHER USED THE WRONG CALL SING OR ADDRESSED THE WRONG ACFT.
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.