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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Flight crew responded to an ATC clearance for descent and then realized the clearance may not have been for them after they overheard a similar sounding call sign on the same frequency. They notified the controller who recognized that there had been an error, and then returned reporter back to their original altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 379310 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : atl |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10500 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : atl |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 8700 flight time type : 4500 |
| ASRS Report | 379310 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Our aircraft was on arrival into atl. At 11000 ft MSL, center instructed us to turn, slow down and descend to 10000 ft MSL. Our flight number was xx. We read back the clearance with our correct call sign. Center, however, had used 'xy' on the initial clearance. Center heard and acknowledged our readback (with correct call sign). Unbeknownst to us an 'xy' did in fact exist on frequency as well. When we discovered this and queried center, he did in fact affirm that we were following an incorrect clearance, so we climbed from 10500 ft MSL back to 11000 ft MSL.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC RESPONDED TO AN ATC CLRNC FOR DSCNT AND THEN REALIZED THE CLRNC MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FOR THEM AFTER THEY OVERHEARD A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN ON THE SAME FREQ. THEY NOTIFIED THE CTLR WHO RECOGNIZED THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN ERROR, AND THEN RETURNED RPTR BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL ALT.
Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS ON ARR INTO ATL. AT 11000 FT MSL, CTR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN, SLOW DOWN AND DSND TO 10000 FT MSL. OUR FLT NUMBER WAS XX. WE READ BACK THE CLRNC WITH OUR CORRECT CALL SIGN. CTR, HOWEVER, HAD USED 'XY' ON THE INITIAL CLRNC. CTR HEARD AND ACKNOWLEDGED OUR READBACK (WITH CORRECT CALL SIGN). UNBEKNOWNST TO US AN 'XY' DID IN FACT EXIST ON FREQ AS WELL. WHEN WE DISCOVERED THIS AND QUERIED CTR, HE DID IN FACT AFFIRM THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING AN INCORRECT CLRNC, SO WE CLBED FROM 10500 FT MSL BACK TO 11000 FT MSL.
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.