Narrative:

Our aircraft, along with another company aircraft, inbound to sba with similar sounding call signs. I was flying naxxbc and other aircraft 20 mi ahead was ncxxbc. Both aircraft are gulfstreams, a G3 and a G4. The controller was corrected prior to this event on using full call signs, by our other aircraft. Occurrence was reception of clearance to descend from 12000 ft to 6000 ft and contact sba approach. Supplemental information from acn 339747: upon contacting sba approach, there was some hesitation by the controller, who then said that it should have been the other aircraft (G4). They then told us to stop descent and re-contact socal. We leveled at 10000 ft and switched to socal, and told them what happened and about the confusion with similar call signs. We also told them we were level at 10000 ft or did they want us back at 12000 ft? They said 10000 ft was ok. A few mins later we were switched to santa barbara approach and the rest of the flight was uneventful.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTING G3 FLC PICKED UP A DSCNT CLRNC FOR THEIR OTHER COMPANY ACFT (AHEAD OF THEM) THAT HAD A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN. WHEN THE CREW BEGAN THE DSCNT AND CONTACTED ATC ON THE NEW ASSIGNED FREQ, THEY WERE INFORMED OF THEIR ERROR.

Narrative: OUR ACFT, ALONG WITH ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT, INBOUND TO SBA WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS. I WAS FLYING NAXXBC AND OTHER ACFT 20 MI AHEAD WAS NCXXBC. BOTH ACFT ARE GULFSTREAMS, A G3 AND A G4. THE CTLR WAS CORRECTED PRIOR TO THIS EVENT ON USING FULL CALL SIGNS, BY OUR OTHER ACFT. OCCURRENCE WAS RECEPTION OF CLRNC TO DSND FROM 12000 FT TO 6000 FT AND CONTACT SBA APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 339747: UPON CONTACTING SBA APCH, THERE WAS SOME HESITATION BY THE CTLR, WHO THEN SAID THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE OTHER ACFT (G4). THEY THEN TOLD US TO STOP DSCNT AND RE-CONTACT SOCAL. WE LEVELED AT 10000 FT AND SWITCHED TO SOCAL, AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND ABOUT THE CONFUSION WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. WE ALSO TOLD THEM WE WERE LEVEL AT 10000 FT OR DID THEY WANT US BACK AT 12000 FT? THEY SAID 10000 FT WAS OK. A FEW MINS LATER WE WERE SWITCHED TO SANTA BARBARA APCH AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.