Narrative:

Cleveland center call me (wash center) to pass a flight plan on air carrier X that failed to be forwarded by the computer. Another air carrier X (same call sign) was active in the computer. The second flight was a bwi departure going over the 'dailey' departure fix. Our computer can only accept one active flight plan on the same call sign. The 'air sector' at cleveland called with a manual handoff over mgw at FL330 direct mrb with clearance to cross 60 west mrb at FL270. I got relieved from the sector and stayed behind to make sure the relieving controller had 'the picture'. We both noticed that air carrier X was flying nebnd instead of sebnd. Conflict alert activated and the relieving controller turned the aircraft to a 170 degree heading. The ground track keep showing nebnd and he turned him another 40 degree right. We began to wonder if it was gyro failure. Our high altitude sector came by and said are you watching the mode C intruder at FL270. It turned out to be air carrier X and the aircraft we were concerned about was the wrong aircraft. I apologized to the aircraft and explained what happened. Cleveland center passed a wrong beacon code and I started track on the wrong aircraft. I should of said identify!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION OVER THE CORRECT ACFT OCCURRED DURING HANDOFF DUE TO WRONG BEACON CODE AND TRACKING OF WRONG ACFT.

Narrative: CLEVELAND CTR CALL ME (WASH CTR) TO PASS A FLT PLAN ON ACR X THAT FAILED TO BE FORWARDED BY THE COMPUTER. ANOTHER ACR X (SAME CALL SIGN) WAS ACTIVE IN THE COMPUTER. THE SECOND FLT WAS A BWI DEP GOING OVER THE 'DAILEY' DEP FIX. OUR COMPUTER CAN ONLY ACCEPT ONE ACTIVE FLT PLAN ON THE SAME CALL SIGN. THE 'AIR SECTOR' AT CLEVELAND CALLED WITH A MANUAL HDOF OVER MGW AT FL330 DIRECT MRB WITH CLRNC TO CROSS 60 W MRB AT FL270. I GOT RELIEVED FROM THE SECTOR AND STAYED BEHIND TO MAKE SURE THE RELIEVING CTLR HAD 'THE PICTURE'. WE BOTH NOTICED THAT ACR X WAS FLYING NEBND INSTEAD OF SEBND. CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED AND THE RELIEVING CTLR TURNED THE ACFT TO A 170 DEG HDG. THE GND TRACK KEEP SHOWING NEBND AND HE TURNED HIM ANOTHER 40 DEG R. WE BEGAN TO WONDER IF IT WAS GYRO FAILURE. OUR HIGH ALT SECTOR CAME BY AND SAID ARE YOU WATCHING THE MODE C INTRUDER AT FL270. IT TURNED OUT TO BE ACR X AND THE ACFT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WAS THE WRONG ACFT. I APOLOGIZED TO THE ACFT AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. CLEVELAND CTR PASSED A WRONG BEACON CODE AND I STARTED TRACK ON THE WRONG ACFT. I SHOULD OF SAID IDENT!

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.