Narrative:

This problem occurred, I believe, due to mistaken flight identify numbers. I am going to be rather lengthy in the description of events leading up to the problem, and hope you will consider publishing my suggested corrective action in 'NASA callback' to alert other pilots. Our flight departed chicago O'hare, flight planned direct to danville VOR, milan 2 arrival to cincinnati. The flight was routine, with a direct routing to shb VOR given by ZAU just prior to danville VOR. (Note dnv VOR is still in chicago airspace.) chicago then told 'air carrier X flight afeh contact ZID.' this flight acknowledged the frequency change. Our flight, air carrier X aefh remained on ZAU. Just outside shelbyville VOR we called for a lower altitude from ZAU. ZAU had no knowledge of us, and said we were already handed off to ZID, and, as a consequence, had been removed from chicago radar. By the time we were able to contact ZID, we were 15 NM from cvg VOR, still at 23000 ft. We were vectored from over cvg VOR, for a normal descent to land on runway 18R at cvg. Although no FARS were broken, ZID had to protect our separation from other aircraft, and we almost reached our clearance limit with no further instructions. Although ZAU forgot about us, there are some factors we should have considered in planning our descent. First: for navigation, we were using our FMS, with the commercial arrival plate 20-2A. The 20-2A chart does not have ATC center communication boundaries, like the high altitude chart 3-4. If the arrival chart had these boundaries, we would have realized sooner that we should have been on ZID. From now on, when I check the route in the FMS against the chart, I will note mentally, or highlight with a pen, the sector boundaries. All pilots should do this so each pilot knows where communication changes should occur. I am also recommending to commercial publisher that ATC center boundaries be printed on arrival and departure sids and stars. Supplemental information from acn 268699: although ZAU forgot about us we could have done better descent planning. In addition, our APU was inoperative and the captain was busy talking to dispatch to have them call cvg operations for ground air. If we had not been distracted we may have had a better idea that we should have been talking with ZID. This all took place in a period of less than 10 mins. If there had been more time and the radios not so busy we perhaps could have stopped this from happening.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG HAS COM PROB DUE SIMILAR A/N USED BY CTLR.

Narrative: THIS PROB OCCURRED, I BELIEVE, DUE TO MISTAKEN FLT IDENT NUMBERS. I AM GOING TO BE RATHER LENGTHY IN THE DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE PROB, AND HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER PUBLISHING MY SUGGESTED CORRECTIVE ACTION IN 'NASA CALLBACK' TO ALERT OTHER PLTS. OUR FLT DEPARTED CHICAGO O'HARE, FLT PLANNED DIRECT TO DANVILLE VOR, MILAN 2 ARR TO CINCINNATI. THE FLT WAS ROUTINE, WITH A DIRECT ROUTING TO SHB VOR GIVEN BY ZAU JUST PRIOR TO DANVILLE VOR. (NOTE DNV VOR IS STILL IN CHICAGO AIRSPACE.) CHICAGO THEN TOLD 'ACR X FLT AFEH CONTACT ZID.' THIS FLT ACKNOWLEDGED THE FREQ CHANGE. OUR FLT, ACR X AEFH REMAINED ON ZAU. JUST OUTSIDE SHELBYVILLE VOR WE CALLED FOR A LOWER ALT FROM ZAU. ZAU HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF US, AND SAID WE WERE ALREADY HANDED OFF TO ZID, AND, AS A CONSEQUENCE, HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM CHICAGO RADAR. BY THE TIME WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT ZID, WE WERE 15 NM FROM CVG VOR, STILL AT 23000 FT. WE WERE VECTORED FROM OVER CVG VOR, FOR A NORMAL DSCNT TO LAND ON RWY 18R AT CVG. ALTHOUGH NO FARS WERE BROKEN, ZID HAD TO PROTECT OUR SEPARATION FROM OTHER ACFT, AND WE ALMOST REACHED OUR CLRNC LIMIT WITH NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. ALTHOUGH ZAU FORGOT ABOUT US, THERE ARE SOME FACTORS WE SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED IN PLANNING OUR DSCNT. FIRST: FOR NAV, WE WERE USING OUR FMS, WITH THE COMMERCIAL ARR PLATE 20-2A. THE 20-2A CHART DOES NOT HAVE ATC CTR COM BOUNDARIES, LIKE THE HIGH ALT CHART 3-4. IF THE ARR CHART HAD THESE BOUNDARIES, WE WOULD HAVE REALIZED SOONER THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON ZID. FROM NOW ON, WHEN I CHK THE RTE IN THE FMS AGAINST THE CHART, I WILL NOTE MENTALLY, OR HIGHLIGHT WITH A PEN, THE SECTOR BOUNDARIES. ALL PLTS SHOULD DO THIS SO EACH PLT KNOWS WHERE COM CHANGES SHOULD OCCUR. I AM ALSO RECOMMENDING TO COMMERCIAL PUBLISHER THAT ATC CTR BOUNDARIES BE PRINTED ON ARR AND DEP SIDS AND STARS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 268699: ALTHOUGH ZAU FORGOT ABOUT US WE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER DSCNT PLANNING. IN ADDITION, OUR APU WAS INOP AND THE CAPT WAS BUSY TALKING TO DISPATCH TO HAVE THEM CALL CVG OPS FOR GND AIR. IF WE HAD NOT BEEN DISTRACTED WE MAY HAVE HAD A BETTER IDEA THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH ZID. THIS ALL TOOK PLACE IN A PERIOD OF LESS THAN 10 MINS. IF THERE HAD BEEN MORE TIME AND THE RADIOS NOT SO BUSY WE PERHAPS COULD HAVE STOPPED THIS FROM HAPPENING.

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.