A B727 flight crew received a clearance that ZOA ARTCC intended for another aircraft near sjc.

Attributes
ACN	453053
Time
Date	199910
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19300 msl bound upper : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	arrival star : hyp.4
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	453053
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft X was cleared by ZOA to descend to and maintain FL180. Aircraft X acknowledged this clearance and started down to the assigned FL180. Passing through FL193, ATC asked if we were level at FL200. We indicated our descent clearance to FL180 and ZOA told us to climb back to FL200 and to turn 40 degrees right to avoid conflicting traffic. Immediate after this, the controller told aircraft X to descend immediately, (although he meant aircraft Y -- the other aircraft involved). He corrected himself shortly thereafter. The controller was overworked with a runway change into sjc (runway 12 to runway 30) and the associated STAR changes. He seemed confused between the aircraft X flight and the aircraft Y flight (and what clrncs he had assigned to each). Once he determined the potential problem/conflict, he did a good job of deconflicting the 2 aircraft once he sorted us out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLC RECEIVED A CLRNC THAT ZOA ARTCC INTENDED FOR ANOTHER ACFT NEAR SJC.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS CLRED BY ZOA TO DSND TO AND MAINTAIN FL180. ACFT X ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CLRNC AND STARTED DOWN TO THE ASSIGNED FL180. PASSING THROUGH FL193, ATC ASKED IF WE WERE LEVEL AT FL200. WE INDICATED OUR DSCNT CLRNC TO FL180 AND ZOA TOLD US TO CLB BACK TO FL200 AND TO TURN 40 DEGS R TO AVOID CONFLICTING TFC. IMMEDIATE AFTER THIS, THE CTLR TOLD ACFT X TO DSND IMMEDIATELY, (ALTHOUGH HE MEANT ACFT Y -- THE OTHER ACFT INVOLVED). HE CORRECTED HIMSELF SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE CTLR WAS OVERWORKED WITH A RWY CHANGE INTO SJC (RWY 12 TO RWY 30) AND THE ASSOCIATED STAR CHANGES. HE SEEMED CONFUSED BTWN THE ACFT X FLT AND THE ACFT Y FLT (AND WHAT CLRNCS HE HAD ASSIGNED TO EACH). ONCE HE DETERMINED THE POTENTIAL PROB/CONFLICT, HE DID A GOOD JOB OF DECONFLICTING THE 2 ACFT ONCE HE SORTED US OUT.

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.