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Aircraft with similar a/north responded to altitude change clearance. Reporter queried ATC, told they had accepted wrong clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 246038 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199307 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : atl |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody Transport |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : atl |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 246038 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| 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 | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
During busy departure, 2 aircraft (feb and fb) departed within mins of one another. Because of heavy load, controller was issuing instructions in rapid fire order. Feb and fb, when spoken very quickly, sounded almost identical. We accepted climb instruction for feb in error. Both pilots were completely sure that altitude change was for fb. We heard our response partially blocked by other aircraft. I called departure control to let him know that another aircraft had accepted our clearance. He informed us that we had made the erroneous acceptance but no problem. Both aircraft on same departure track. So altitude change came at normal time for that event, probably making anticipation a factor. Since the clearance came at the normal point and time, no conflict resulted as our clearance from 10000 ft to 12000 ft was about to be issued. Since both pilots responded (PNF on radio and PF verbally in cockpit), we were both completely sure of clearance. Similar call sign and rapid speech and anticipation equaled erroneous acceptance. Use of ICAO standard terminology of individual digits might have precluded this event.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACFT WITH SIMILAR A/N RESPONDED TO ALT CHANGE CLRNC. RPTR QUERIED ATC, TOLD THEY HAD ACCEPTED WRONG CLRNC.
Narrative: DURING BUSY DEP, 2 ACFT (FEB AND FB) DEPARTED WITHIN MINS OF ONE ANOTHER. BECAUSE OF HVY LOAD, CTLR WAS ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS IN RAPID FIRE ORDER. FEB AND FB, WHEN SPOKEN VERY QUICKLY, SOUNDED ALMOST IDENTICAL. WE ACCEPTED CLB INSTRUCTION FOR FEB IN ERROR. BOTH PLTS WERE COMPLETELY SURE THAT ALT CHANGE WAS FOR FB. WE HEARD OUR RESPONSE PARTIALLY BLOCKED BY OTHER ACFT. I CALLED DEP CTL TO LET HIM KNOW THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD ACCEPTED OUR CLRNC. HE INFORMED US THAT WE HAD MADE THE ERRONEOUS ACCEPTANCE BUT NO PROB. BOTH ACFT ON SAME DEP TRACK. SO ALT CHANGE CAME AT NORMAL TIME FOR THAT EVENT, PROBABLY MAKING ANTICIPATION A FACTOR. SINCE THE CLRNC CAME AT THE NORMAL POINT AND TIME, NO CONFLICT RESULTED AS OUR CLRNC FROM 10000 FT TO 12000 FT WAS ABOUT TO BE ISSUED. SINCE BOTH PLTS RESPONDED (PNF ON RADIO AND PF VERBALLY IN COCKPIT), WE WERE BOTH COMPLETELY SURE OF CLRNC. SIMILAR CALL SIGN AND RAPID SPEECH AND ANTICIPATION EQUALED ERRONEOUS ACCEPTANCE. USE OF ICAO STANDARD TERMINOLOGY OF INDIVIDUAL DIGITS MIGHT HAVE PRECLUDED THIS EVENT.
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.