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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Foreign carrier with similar idents stepped on each other's clearance, XXX took clearance meant for xxy.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 189157 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199109 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : lin |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 36000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer observation : company check pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 175 |
| ASRS Report | 189157 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was in the right seat performing IOE training for foreign XXX carrier. Our aircraft was heading south to lax on a flight from anchorage. The current clearance was direct lax from tou VOR in washington at FL370. Oakland center was also working another carrier foreign xxy at the same time. Oakland center instructed XXX to come up on the same frequency that was controling xxy. After switching to the new frequency, the XXX radio operator initiated contact at the same time ATC was issuing a descent clearance to xxy to descend to 350. The XXX radio operator blocked part of xxy clearance and they heard 'xx descend to FL350.' the XXX captain started a descent and the radio operator called departing FL370 for FL350. Oakland called back that the clearance was for xxy, another aircraft, and that XXX was to maintain FL370. XXX immediately climbed back to FL370 with an excursion of 1000 ft. The primary cause of this deviation was XXX radio operator not listening on frequency before speaking to assure that the frequency is clear. Another element adding to the confusion is there are at least 3 airlines with 'xx' in their call sign: XXX from shanghai, xxy airlines from taiwan, and zxx from beijing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FOREIGN CARRIER WITH SIMILAR IDENTS STEPPED ON EACH OTHER'S CLRNC, XXX TOOK CLRNC MEANT FOR XXY.
Narrative: I WAS IN THE R SEAT PERFORMING IOE TRAINING FOR FOREIGN XXX CARRIER. OUR ACFT WAS HDG S TO LAX ON A FLT FROM ANCHORAGE. THE CURRENT CLRNC WAS DIRECT LAX FROM TOU VOR IN WASHINGTON AT FL370. OAKLAND CENTER WAS ALSO WORKING ANOTHER CARRIER FOREIGN XXY AT THE SAME TIME. OAKLAND CENTER INSTRUCTED XXX TO COME UP ON THE SAME FREQ THAT WAS CTLING XXY. AFTER SWITCHING TO THE NEW FREQ, THE XXX RADIO OPERATOR INITIATED CONTACT AT THE SAME TIME ATC WAS ISSUING A DSCNT CLRNC TO XXY TO DSND TO 350. THE XXX RADIO OPERATOR BLOCKED PART OF XXY CLRNC AND THEY HEARD 'XX DSND TO FL350.' THE XXX CAPT STARTED A DSCNT AND THE RADIO OPERATOR CALLED DEPARTING FL370 FOR FL350. OAKLAND CALLED BACK THAT THE CLRNC WAS FOR XXY, ANOTHER ACFT, AND THAT XXX WAS TO MAINTAIN FL370. XXX IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO FL370 WITH AN EXCURSION OF 1000 FT. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS DEV WAS XXX RADIO OPERATOR NOT LISTENING ON FREQ BEFORE SPEAKING TO ASSURE THAT THE FREQ IS CLR. ANOTHER ELEMENT ADDING TO THE CONFUSION IS THERE ARE AT LEAST 3 AIRLINES WITH 'XX' IN THEIR CALL SIGN: XXX FROM SHANGHAI, XXY AIRLINES FROM TAIWAN, AND ZXX FROM BEIJING.
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.