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ATC working two frequencys and two aircraft with dimilar callsigns. Air carrier accepts wrong altitude clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 144569 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199005 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : day |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid tower : buf |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 144569 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
This was the last leg of a long day, late at night. Copilot on IOE. Center was working combined frequencys, naturally I was only able to hear the one frequency we were tuned to. Two company planes worked by this controller one aodd other aobd. When given a descent out of FL310 to FL190 there was a command which we thouht was 'aobd stop at FL230', however, it must have been aodd who was climbing at the time. We leveled at FL230 and as we approached dayton airport at such a high altitude the captain was clued in that maybe there were two such callsign numbers. The controllers quickly realized their predicament and issued further descent for us to 11000'. Startled I advanced a rapid rate of descent. At level out had to manually take over autoplt to return. The pressures climbed as we leveled around 11300' and readjusted to 11000'. The time of day, the closeness in sound of the two numbers and copilot newness created an uneasy nonsmooth flowing work place and could have been a potential conflict. I think we need to make each party aware thee are similar sounding callsigns out there in our working environment.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATC WORKING TWO FREQS AND TWO ACFT WITH DIMILAR CALLSIGNS. ACR ACCEPTS WRONG ALT CLRNC.
Narrative: THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A LONG DAY, LATE AT NIGHT. COPLT ON IOE. CTR WAS WORKING COMBINED FREQS, NATURALLY I WAS ONLY ABLE TO HEAR THE ONE FREQ WE WERE TUNED TO. TWO COMPANY PLANES WORKED BY THIS CTLR ONE AODD OTHER AOBD. WHEN GIVEN A DSNT OUT OF FL310 TO FL190 THERE WAS A COMMAND WHICH WE THOUHT WAS 'AOBD STOP AT FL230', HOWEVER, IT MUST HAVE BEEN AODD WHO WAS CLBING AT THE TIME. WE LEVELED AT FL230 AND AS WE APCHED DAYTON ARPT AT SUCH A HIGH ALT THE CAPT WAS CLUED IN THAT MAYBE THERE WERE TWO SUCH CALLSIGN NUMBERS. THE CTLRS QUICKLY REALIZED THEIR PREDICAMENT AND ISSUED FURTHER DSNT FOR US TO 11000'. STARTLED I ADVANCED A RAPID RATE OF DSNT. AT LEVEL OUT HAD TO MANUALLY TAKE OVER AUTOPLT TO RETURN. THE PRESSURES CLBED AS WE LEVELED AROUND 11300' AND READJUSTED TO 11000'. THE TIME OF DAY, THE CLOSENESS IN SOUND OF THE TWO NUMBERS AND COPLT NEWNESS CREATED AN UNEASY NONSMOOTH FLOWING WORK PLACE AND COULD HAVE BEEN A POTENTIAL CONFLICT. I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE EACH PARTY AWARE THEE ARE SIMILAR SOUNDING CALLSIGNS OUT THERE IN OUR WORKING ENVIRONMENT.
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.