Narrative:

After holding over the pae VOR at 5000 ft, we requested to begin the VOR B approach into paine airfield, wa. Our instructions were to proceed outbound on the 340 degree radial (pae VOR), descend and maintain 4000 ft, and to expect the approach clearance shortly. We were shortly after cleared for the VOR B approach and instructed to contact paine tower on 120.3. We then read back our clearance and waited for a response. None was made correcting our readback. After waiting ample time, we switched our radios to paine tower and informed the controller that we were outbound on the VOR B approach and received an early 'switch over.' we also began our descent out of 4000 ft as the approach calls for at this time. Tower then acknowledged not indicating that there was any problem to be concerned about. Shortly afterwards, the tower instructed us to climb back (out of 3500 ft) to 4000 ft on a heading of 310 degrees and contact approach on 128.5. Upon contacting approach we were told we were not cleared for the approach and we were to have maintained 4000 ft. We were also instructed to phone ATC (center). The area supervisor informed me by phone that the center controller believes we received a clearance for another aircraft. Our cockpit crew consisted of 2 commercial-IFR pilots who believed we were given the clearance that we flew with our tail numbers. We also read back our clearance with our proper tail numbers with no correction made by the controller (center). Only after prompting the tower controller was any change initiated by ATC. The area supervisor says the tape recordings are not available until tomorrow on sunday (24-48 hours later). It should be also noted that we were forgotten on the second attempt at the same approach. No approach clearance was given until we reminded the controller half way in from the final approach fix (4 mi north pae VOR). This left us descending out of 3000 ft to 1100 ft with an excessive descent rate. On the following approach we were vectored 21 NM north of the field, which we found to be excessive, even for traffic considerations. A formal request was made to the area supervisor for copies of the ATC recordings. I was denied and told to request access from the quality assurance supervisor on sunday. No information was given or requested from center over the phone even though we were threatened with a 'possible pilot deviation' over the radio. It appears the request to call the center had no purpose other than to intimidate us. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the ATC supervisor subsequently advised that the incident was caused by the center controller speaking too fast and not listening for a proper acknowledgement to her clrncs. She (controller) was given additional training and that the reporter could consider the matter 'dropped'! The reporter was giving instrument instruction in a cessna 172RG.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INST TRAINING PLTS TOOK APCH CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT AND ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC WITH THEIR ACFT N NUMBER.

Narrative: AFTER HOLDING OVER THE PAE VOR AT 5000 FT, WE REQUESTED TO BEGIN THE VOR B APCH INTO PAINE AIRFIELD, WA. OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO PROCEED OUTBOUND ON THE 340 DEG RADIAL (PAE VOR), DSND AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT, AND TO EXPECT THE APCH CLRNC SHORTLY. WE WERE SHORTLY AFTER CLRED FOR THE VOR B APCH AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT PAINE TWR ON 120.3. WE THEN READ BACK OUR CLRNC AND WAITED FOR A RESPONSE. NONE WAS MADE CORRECTING OUR READBACK. AFTER WAITING AMPLE TIME, WE SWITCHED OUR RADIOS TO PAINE TWR AND INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE WERE OUTBOUND ON THE VOR B APCH AND RECEIVED AN EARLY 'SWITCH OVER.' WE ALSO BEGAN OUR DSCNT OUT OF 4000 FT AS THE APCH CALLS FOR AT THIS TIME. TWR THEN ACKNOWLEDGED NOT INDICATING THAT THERE WAS ANY PROB TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CLB BACK (OUT OF 3500 FT) TO 4000 FT ON A HDG OF 310 DEGS AND CONTACT APCH ON 128.5. UPON CONTACTING APCH WE WERE TOLD WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR THE APCH AND WE WERE TO HAVE MAINTAINED 4000 FT. WE WERE ALSO INSTRUCTED TO PHONE ATC (CTR). THE AREA SUPVR INFORMED ME BY PHONE THAT THE CTR CTLR BELIEVES WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT. OUR COCKPIT CREW CONSISTED OF 2 COMMERCIAL-IFR PLTS WHO BELIEVED WE WERE GIVEN THE CLRNC THAT WE FLEW WITH OUR TAIL NUMBERS. WE ALSO READ BACK OUR CLRNC WITH OUR PROPER TAIL NUMBERS WITH NO CORRECTION MADE BY THE CTLR (CTR). ONLY AFTER PROMPTING THE TWR CTLR WAS ANY CHANGE INITIATED BY ATC. THE AREA SUPVR SAYS THE TAPE RECORDINGS ARE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL TOMORROW ON SUNDAY (24-48 HRS LATER). IT SHOULD BE ALSO NOTED THAT WE WERE FORGOTTEN ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT AT THE SAME APCH. NO APCH CLRNC WAS GIVEN UNTIL WE REMINDED THE CTLR HALF WAY IN FROM THE FINAL APCH FIX (4 MI N PAE VOR). THIS LEFT US DSNDING OUT OF 3000 FT TO 1100 FT WITH AN EXCESSIVE DSCNT RATE. ON THE FOLLOWING APCH WE WERE VECTORED 21 NM N OF THE FIELD, WHICH WE FOUND TO BE EXCESSIVE, EVEN FOR TFC CONSIDERATIONS. A FORMAL REQUEST WAS MADE TO THE AREA SUPVR FOR COPIES OF THE ATC RECORDINGS. I WAS DENIED AND TOLD TO REQUEST ACCESS FROM THE QUALITY ASSURANCE SUPVR ON SUNDAY. NO INFO WAS GIVEN OR REQUESTED FROM CTR OVER THE PHONE EVEN THOUGH WE WERE THREATENED WITH A 'POSSIBLE PLT DEV' OVER THE RADIO. IT APPEARS THE REQUEST TO CALL THE CTR HAD NO PURPOSE OTHER THAN TO INTIMIDATE US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ATC SUPVR SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED THAT THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE CTR CTLR SPEAKING TOO FAST AND NOT LISTENING FOR A PROPER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO HER CLRNCS. SHE (CTLR) WAS GIVEN ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND THAT THE RPTR COULD CONSIDER THE MATTER 'DROPPED'! THE RPTR WAS GIVING INST INSTRUCTION IN A CESSNA 172RG.

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.