Narrative:

London control had given our flight (aircraft X) to maintain heading 260 degrees. After a while, I noticed this heading was taking us further south of our intended track. I asked the controller if she still wanted us on heading and she said yes. A few mins later, another controller took over. A couple of mins later, I asked him if he was aware of our track entry point for the atlantic crossing to be 55N 10W (which was north of us). He said turn right to 55N 10W and I requested FL310, being at FL280. He said stand by. In our turn to the right to 55N 10W, we got an RA on our TCASII coming from a target right below and behind us, to climb. We did so, and informed control that we were climbing with an RA below us. The traffic (aircraft Y) also started to climb and the controller was trying to figure out what it was. Then we were told we should be on shannon frequency 132.15 (I believe we were on london control 128.12). We went to 132.15 and was informed it was a military aircraft and the controller was trying to get in touch with it. We climbed to FL323 before getting rid of the RA. We were told they thought we had missed a frequency change. But no frequency change had been given up until our last change of 132.15. We had been in communication on the same frequency until we had been told to change to the current 132.15 frequency. Since there was a flight with a similar number, I feel the controllers got us confused with which flight was which. Since some controllers were not sure who we were, the military jet was sent to intercept. I felt the aggressiveness of the intercept was unnecessary and so informed the controller. Before we knew what the target of conflict was, it got at least within 200 ft if not closer and forced us to climb over 4000 ft before being told to back off from the controling agency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 FLC QUESTION EGTT CTLR ABOUT BEING CLRED ON COURSE. THE CTLR ISSUES FREQ CHANGE TO EISN AND RECEIVES A TCASII RA. PLT IS ADVISED LATER ABOUT A MIL INTERCEPT.

Narrative: LONDON CTL HAD GIVEN OUR FLT (ACFT X) TO MAINTAIN HDG 260 DEGS. AFTER A WHILE, I NOTICED THIS HDG WAS TAKING US FURTHER S OF OUR INTENDED TRACK. I ASKED THE CTLR IF SHE STILL WANTED US ON HDG AND SHE SAID YES. A FEW MINS LATER, ANOTHER CTLR TOOK OVER. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER, I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS AWARE OF OUR TRACK ENTRY POINT FOR THE ATLANTIC XING TO BE 55N 10W (WHICH WAS N OF US). HE SAID TURN R TO 55N 10W AND I REQUESTED FL310, BEING AT FL280. HE SAID STAND BY. IN OUR TURN TO THE R TO 55N 10W, WE GOT AN RA ON OUR TCASII COMING FROM A TARGET RIGHT BELOW AND BEHIND US, TO CLB. WE DID SO, AND INFORMED CTL THAT WE WERE CLBING WITH AN RA BELOW US. THE TFC (ACFT Y) ALSO STARTED TO CLB AND THE CTLR WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS. THEN WE WERE TOLD WE SHOULD BE ON SHANNON FREQ 132.15 (I BELIEVE WE WERE ON LONDON CTL 128.12). WE WENT TO 132.15 AND WAS INFORMED IT WAS A MIL ACFT AND THE CTLR WAS TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH IT. WE CLBED TO FL323 BEFORE GETTING RID OF THE RA. WE WERE TOLD THEY THOUGHT WE HAD MISSED A FREQ CHANGE. BUT NO FREQ CHANGE HAD BEEN GIVEN UP UNTIL OUR LAST CHANGE OF 132.15. WE HAD BEEN IN COM ON THE SAME FREQ UNTIL WE HAD BEEN TOLD TO CHANGE TO THE CURRENT 132.15 FREQ. SINCE THERE WAS A FLT WITH A SIMILAR NUMBER, I FEEL THE CTLRS GOT US CONFUSED WITH WHICH FLT WAS WHICH. SINCE SOME CTLRS WERE NOT SURE WHO WE WERE, THE MIL JET WAS SENT TO INTERCEPT. I FELT THE AGGRESSIVENESS OF THE INTERCEPT WAS UNNECESSARY AND SO INFORMED THE CTLR. BEFORE WE KNEW WHAT THE TARGET OF CONFLICT WAS, IT GOT AT LEAST WITHIN 200 FT IF NOT CLOSER AND FORCED US TO CLB OVER 4000 FT BEFORE BEING TOLD TO BACK OFF FROM THE CTLING AGENCY.

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.