B757 flight crew takes clearance meant for another aircraft. Similar a/north.

Attributes
ACN	340460
Time
Date	199607
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hpw
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	340460
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ZDC gave us vector from holding pattern at hpw and to descend from FL260 to FL240. At FL250 center called and told us to stop our descent at FL250 because there was an aircraft at FL240. His comments indicated that we had taken another aircraft's (with similar call sign) clearance to FL240. First officer and I both thought the clearance was for us. First officer commented to ATC that he had read back our call sign to descend to FL240. There was no comment from ATC. During this time everyone was very busy. ATC was directing traffic which was deviating around thunderstorms. We were setting up holding pattern and then exiting pattern to new fix and there was another same air carrier aircraft on the frequency with similar call sign. Under these circumstances we, as well as the controller, should have triple checked that the proper call sign was used and acknowledged.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLC TAKES CLRNC MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACFT. SIMILAR A/N.

Narrative: ZDC GAVE US VECTOR FROM HOLDING PATTERN AT HPW AND TO DSND FROM FL260 TO FL240. AT FL250 CTR CALLED AND TOLD US TO STOP OUR DSCNT AT FL250 BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ACFT AT FL240. HIS COMMENTS INDICATED THAT WE HAD TAKEN ANOTHER ACFT'S (WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN) CLRNC TO FL240. FO AND I BOTH THOUGHT THE CLRNC WAS FOR US. FO COMMENTED TO ATC THAT HE HAD READ BACK OUR CALL SIGN TO DSND TO FL240. THERE WAS NO COMMENT FROM ATC. DURING THIS TIME EVERYONE WAS VERY BUSY. ATC WAS DIRECTING TFC WHICH WAS DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS. WE WERE SETTING UP HOLDING PATTERN AND THEN EXITING PATTERN TO NEW FIX AND THERE WAS ANOTHER SAME ACR ACFT ON THE FREQ WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN. UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES WE, AS WELL AS THE CTLR, SHOULD HAVE TRIPLE CHKED THAT THE PROPER CALL SIGN WAS USED AND ACKNOWLEDGED.

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.