Flight crew of an large transport responded to clearance for another aircraft of their company with a similar sounding aircraft number during a departure climb resulting in a wrong heading and altitude. However, both flight crew members believe it was the controller who made the original error.

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Attributes
ACN	378610
Time
Date	199708
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl single value : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid enroute airway : zdc
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	378610
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 other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were climbing out on a departure from bwi on a flight to lax, receiving radar vectors and altitude limits from ZDC. The first officer was flying the aircraft, and I was handling communications. ZDC turned us to a heading of 210 degrees and cleared us to climb to FL230. I acknowledged that air carrier X was cleared to turn left to 210 degrees and climb to FL230. A few mins later, the controller asked us what we were doing and I repeated back his clearance. He then said that I had taken a clearance for air carrier Y. He soon changed my frequency over to another ZDC frequency, where the new controller also told us I had taken air carrier Y's clearance and to pay attention (3 or 4 times). The first officer and I discussed this, and we both agreed that the first controller had given the clearance to air carrier X, our flight. There was no conflict, both controllers were strong on telling us we had made the mistake, but both the first officer and I feel that the center controller made the error.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT RESPONDED TO CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT OF THEIR COMPANY WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING ACFT NUMBER DURING A DEP CLB RESULTING IN A WRONG HDG AND ALT. HOWEVER, BOTH FLC MEMBERS BELIEVE IT WAS THE CTLR WHO MADE THE ORIGINAL ERROR.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING OUT ON A DEP FROM BWI ON A FLT TO LAX, RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS AND ALT LIMITS FROM ZDC. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT, AND I WAS HANDLING COMS. ZDC TURNED US TO A HDG OF 210 DEGS AND CLRED US TO CLB TO FL230. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ACR X WAS CLRED TO TURN L TO 210 DEGS AND CLB TO FL230. A FEW MINS LATER, THE CTLR ASKED US WHAT WE WERE DOING AND I REPEATED BACK HIS CLRNC. HE THEN SAID THAT I HAD TAKEN A CLRNC FOR ACR Y. HE SOON CHANGED MY FREQ OVER TO ANOTHER ZDC FREQ, WHERE THE NEW CTLR ALSO TOLD US I HAD TAKEN ACR Y'S CLRNC AND TO PAY ATTN (3 OR 4 TIMES). THE FO AND I DISCUSSED THIS, AND WE BOTH AGREED THAT THE FIRST CTLR HAD GIVEN THE CLRNC TO ACR X, OUR FLT. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT, BOTH CTLRS WERE STRONG ON TELLING US WE HAD MADE THE MISTAKE, BUT BOTH THE FO AND I FEEL THAT THE CTR CTLR MADE THE ERROR.

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.