Narrative:

Acting as sic on a lear jet 31A en route from cleveland, oh, to norfolk, va, our aircraft was given a descent from ZOB to FL190. Only after 3 frequency changes to ZDC and at last 150 mi later that we were first made aware that we were at the wrong altitude. ZDC gave us the phone number of ZOB and a phone call was subsequently made upon arrival in norfolk. Apparently we took a descent clearance from another aircraft with a similar call sign and then took that aircraft's frequency change soon thereafter. There was some misunderstanding between controllers and we continued our descent, unaware of the problem. I believe this is a classic example of pilot/controller miscom. Factors affecting the problem were maximum cockpit wind noise at FL270 in the lear jet, and frequency congestion. Also the beginning of the call sign was perhaps clipped off as the controller keyed his microphone. I also believe we should have been made aware of similar call signs on the same frequency. This would have alerted both flcs of a potential communication conflict. In the future, I will be more aware of problems stemming from similar call signs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR LJ31 FLC DSNDED IN RESPONSE TO ANOTHER ACFT'S CLRNC AND LATER ACCEPTED A FREQ CHANGE INTENDED FOR THAT SAME ACFT.

Narrative: ACTING AS SIC ON A LEAR JET 31A ENRTE FROM CLEVELAND, OH, TO NORFOLK, VA, OUR ACFT WAS GIVEN A DSCNT FROM ZOB TO FL190. ONLY AFTER 3 FREQ CHANGES TO ZDC AND AT LAST 150 MI LATER THAT WE WERE FIRST MADE AWARE THAT WE WERE AT THE WRONG ALT. ZDC GAVE US THE PHONE NUMBER OF ZOB AND A PHONE CALL WAS SUBSEQUENTLY MADE UPON ARR IN NORFOLK. APPARENTLY WE TOOK A DSCNT CLRNC FROM ANOTHER ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN AND THEN TOOK THAT ACFT'S FREQ CHANGE SOON THEREAFTER. THERE WAS SOME MISUNDERSTANDING BTWN CTLRS AND WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT, UNAWARE OF THE PROB. I BELIEVE THIS IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF PLT/CTLR MISCOM. FACTORS AFFECTING THE PROB WERE MAX COCKPIT WIND NOISE AT FL270 IN THE LEAR JET, AND FREQ CONGESTION. ALSO THE BEGINNING OF THE CALL SIGN WAS PERHAPS CLIPPED OFF AS THE CTLR KEYED HIS MIKE. I ALSO BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF SIMILAR CALL SIGNS ON THE SAME FREQ. THIS WOULD HAVE ALERTED BOTH FLCS OF A POTENTIAL COM CONFLICT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MORE AWARE OF PROBS STEMMING FROM SIMILAR CALL SIGNS.

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.