Narrative:

My passenger and I were on an IFR clearance to a small airport east of paine field, underlying the seattle TCA's 6000 ft floor. Harvey field (our destination) is 7 mi on the 076 degree radial of the field located paine VOR. I was issued a heading of 070 degrees approximately 20 mi west of our destination and allowed to descend at my discretion (to no specified altitude). ATC then requested I change to center frequency 128.5. We reported up on frequency and were acknowledged. At approximately 5 mi west of paine field, I was requested to change to paine tower 121.3. As is my practice, I acknowledged my call sign and the new frequency and wrote down the frequency on a list, and waited. At least 15 seconds passed before I switched to 121.3, and no reply to the contrary was heard during this period. Paine tower's controller was extremely busy, issuing non-stop instructions to aircraft and, as several minutes passed with no opening available to report, I became concerned, as I was passing near paine field on the 070 degree course. I then tried to call ZSE on 128.5 briefly, but received no reply. I then made contact with paine tower and stated I was IFR to harvey field, but was told to standby, before I could request cancellation of my IFR flight plan. At this time, we spotted a parachutist approximately 1000 ft above and 2000 ft directly in front of us. (Our VFR sectional depicted this as a parachute area). I immediately turned north, and while monitoring paine tower, tried again to contact center on 128.5. This time center responded immediately and informed me they had been trying to reach me for 7 mi, and that I had not stayed on my 070 degree course. I replied that I was under the impression I was to contact paine tower. I was told I had taken 'someone else's call.' I stated that I had wanted to cancel my IFR. The controller canceled my IFR plan at that time. I did not mention the parachutist, or argue with the controller over the issue of the frequency change instruction in question. Both my passenger and I are certain we heard the call, and since there was no reply when I repeated back my call sign and the new frequency, I would like to believe we acted properly. As we approached the occupied parachute area, we had no choice but to deviate to avoid a potential disaster. It is apparent that the paine tower controller was overloaded. If I did misinterpret the instructions from center, and the center controller did not hear my confirming reply, it would seem reasonable that I should at least be able to make meaningful contact with the next frequency. I have also considered my actions in this matter, not excluding the possibility that I did take another person's call. If this were true, how will I prevent it in the future? What would I do if it were IMC, with nearby rising terrain? The ATC system cannot verify every reply to their instructions. If unable to communication with the perceived next frequency within a short period of time, I will recontact my prior frequency for instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT ANSWERED TO THE WRONG CALL SIGN, THEN HAD TO EVADE A PARACHUTE. CLRNC REPLY TO WRONG CALL SIGN.

Narrative: MY PAX AND I WERE ON AN IFR CLRNC TO A SMALL ARPT E OF PAINE FIELD, UNDERLYING THE SEATTLE TCA'S 6000 FT FLOOR. HARVEY FIELD (OUR DEST) IS 7 MI ON THE 076 DEG RADIAL OF THE FIELD LOCATED PAINE VOR. I WAS ISSUED A HDG OF 070 DEGS APPROX 20 MI W OF OUR DEST AND ALLOWED TO DSND AT MY DISCRETION (TO NO SPECIFIED ALT). ATC THEN REQUESTED I CHANGE TO CTR FREQ 128.5. WE RPTED UP ON FREQ AND WERE ACKNOWLEDGED. AT APPROX 5 MI W OF PAINE FIELD, I WAS REQUESTED TO CHANGE TO PAINE TWR 121.3. AS IS MY PRACTICE, I ACKNOWLEDGED MY CALL SIGN AND THE NEW FREQ AND WROTE DOWN THE FREQ ON A LIST, AND WAITED. AT LEAST 15 SECONDS PASSED BEFORE I SWITCHED TO 121.3, AND NO REPLY TO THE CONTRARY WAS HEARD DURING THIS PERIOD. PAINE TWR'S CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, ISSUING NON-STOP INSTRUCTIONS TO ACFT AND, AS SEVERAL MINUTES PASSED WITH NO OPENING AVAILABLE TO RPT, I BECAME CONCERNED, AS I WAS PASSING NEAR PAINE FIELD ON THE 070 DEG COURSE. I THEN TRIED TO CALL ZSE ON 128.5 BRIEFLY, BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH PAINE TWR AND STATED I WAS IFR TO HARVEY FIELD, BUT WAS TOLD TO STANDBY, BEFORE I COULD REQUEST CANCELLATION OF MY IFR FLT PLAN. AT THIS TIME, WE SPOTTED A PARACHUTIST APPROX 1000 FT ABOVE AND 2000 FT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. (OUR VFR SECTIONAL DEPICTED THIS AS A PARACHUTE AREA). I IMMEDIATELY TURNED N, AND WHILE MONITORING PAINE TWR, TRIED AGAIN TO CONTACT CTR ON 128.5. THIS TIME CTR RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY AND INFORMED ME THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH ME FOR 7 MI, AND THAT I HAD NOT STAYED ON MY 070 DEG COURSE. I REPLIED THAT I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION I WAS TO CONTACT PAINE TWR. I WAS TOLD I HAD TAKEN 'SOMEONE ELSE'S CALL.' I STATED THAT I HAD WANTED TO CANCEL MY IFR. THE CTLR CANCELED MY IFR PLAN AT THAT TIME. I DID NOT MENTION THE PARACHUTIST, OR ARGUE WITH THE CTLR OVER THE ISSUE OF THE FREQ CHANGE INSTRUCTION IN QUESTION. BOTH MY PAX AND I ARE CERTAIN WE HEARD THE CALL, AND SINCE THERE WAS NO REPLY WHEN I REPEATED BACK MY CALL SIGN AND THE NEW FREQ, I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE WE ACTED PROPERLY. AS WE APCHED THE OCCUPIED PARACHUTE AREA, WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DEVIATE TO AVOID A POTENTIAL DISASTER. IT IS APPARENT THAT THE PAINE TWR CTLR WAS OVERLOADED. IF I DID MISINTERPRET THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM CTR, AND THE CTR CTLR DID NOT HEAR MY CONFIRMING REPLY, IT WOULD SEEM REASONABLE THAT I SHOULD AT LEAST BE ABLE TO MAKE MEANINGFUL CONTACT WITH THE NEXT FREQ. I HAVE ALSO CONSIDERED MY ACTIONS IN THIS MATTER, NOT EXCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY THAT I DID TAKE ANOTHER PERSON'S CALL. IF THIS WERE TRUE, HOW WILL I PREVENT IT IN THE FUTURE? WHAT WOULD I DO IF IT WERE IMC, WITH NEARBY RISING TERRAIN? THE ATC SYS CANNOT VERIFY EVERY REPLY TO THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. IF UNABLE TO COM WITH THE PERCEIVED NEXT FREQ WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, I WILL RECONTACT MY PRIOR FREQ FOR INSTRUCTIONS.

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.