Narrative:

We were level at 11000 ft on the gland arrival into iah. I was the first officer on the flight and the PF. There was a descent clearance given to maintain 6000 ft. The captain acknowledged the clearance with our call sign and flight number. As we passed through 10500 ft, the controller said we had traffic at 1 O'clock position. We reported the traffic in sight and were told to maintain visual separation with the traffic, which we acknowledged we would do. The controller then told us to maintain 11000 ft. We immediately climbed back to 11000 ft. We were then vectored for the visual approach to runway 8 without any further incidents. The controller never questioned us or asked us to call anyone. We did notice after the incident that there was another airline in the vicinity with the same flight number. If indeed this descent clearance was meant for the other aircraft, we could probably have avoided this incident if the controller had warned us about the 2 flight's flight numbers being the same. Both the captain and myself discussed the incident and we both were positive that we heard the clearance to descend given to our flight number. Since the controller never questioned us or told us to call him on the ground, we thought it might have been an error on his side.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC TOOK CLRNC OF ANOTHER FLT WITH SAME FLT NUMBER.

Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT 11000 FT ON THE GLAND ARR INTO IAH. I WAS THE FO ON THE FLT AND THE PF. THERE WAS A DSCNT CLRNC GIVEN TO MAINTAIN 6000 FT. THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC WITH OUR CALL SIGN AND FLT NUMBER. AS WE PASSED THROUGH 10500 FT, THE CTLR SAID WE HAD TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK POS. WE RPTED THE TFC IN SIGHT AND WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THE TFC, WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED WE WOULD DO. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 11000 FT. WE WERE THEN VECTORED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8 WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENTS. THE CTLR NEVER QUESTIONED US OR ASKED US TO CALL ANYONE. WE DID NOTICE AFTER THE INCIDENT THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRLINE IN THE VICINITY WITH THE SAME FLT NUMBER. IF INDEED THIS DSCNT CLRNC WAS MEANT FOR THE OTHER ACFT, WE COULD PROBABLY HAVE AVOIDED THIS INCIDENT IF THE CTLR HAD WARNED US ABOUT THE 2 FLT'S FLT NUMBERS BEING THE SAME. BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT AND WE BOTH WERE POSITIVE THAT WE HEARD THE CLRNC TO DSND GIVEN TO OUR FLT NUMBER. SINCE THE CTLR NEVER QUESTIONED US OR TOLD US TO CALL HIM ON THE GND, WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ERROR ON HIS SIDE.

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.