 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
B727 flight crew takes clearance for similar call sign in foreign airspace and climbs from assigned altitude. No traffic conflict due to alert controller.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 453276 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : lax.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 2800 |
| ASRS Report | 453276 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 453802 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : separated traffic flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 42000 vertical : 1200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While being vectored numerous times, the flight crew heard clearance to climb to FL330 direct to coa. We began climbing from FL310. At FL316, maastrich called to verify our altitude assigned. Then told us to immediately descend to FL310 'we had traffic 1000 ft above at 1 O'clock position.' we had traffic in sight and descended to FL310 without incident. The traffic was not indicated on our TCASII and there was no warnings. The only possible explanation was another aircraft on frequency with similar call sign. We had read back our clearance to FL330, unopposed. Although the crew thought we heard clearance for 'our' call sign to climb to FL330, we were told we had not been. Fortunately, it was a clear night and we had all traffic in sight. This is a very busy corridor with numerous xmissions. Because several languages can be spoken over some of the countries, we are very tuned into a clearance with our call sign. The only explanation for the crew to have read back a false clearance was for the controller to have given it in error or for us to have mistaken it for ours due to a similar call sign.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B727 FLC TAKES CLRNC FOR SIMILAR CALL SIGN IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE AND CLBS FROM ASSIGNED ALT. NO TFC CONFLICT DUE TO ALERT CTLR.
Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED NUMEROUS TIMES, THE FLC HEARD CLRNC TO CLB TO FL330 DIRECT TO COA. WE BEGAN CLBING FROM FL310. AT FL316, MAASTRICH CALLED TO VERIFY OUR ALT ASSIGNED. THEN TOLD US TO IMMEDIATELY DSND TO FL310 'WE HAD TFC 1000 FT ABOVE AT 1 O'CLOCK POS.' WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT AND DSNDED TO FL310 WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE TFC WAS NOT INDICATED ON OUR TCASII AND THERE WAS NO WARNINGS. THE ONLY POSSIBLE EXPLANATION WAS ANOTHER ACFT ON FREQ WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN. WE HAD READ BACK OUR CLRNC TO FL330, UNOPPOSED. ALTHOUGH THE CREW THOUGHT WE HEARD CLRNC FOR 'OUR' CALL SIGN TO CLB TO FL330, WE WERE TOLD WE HAD NOT BEEN. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS A CLR NIGHT AND WE HAD ALL TFC IN SIGHT. THIS IS A VERY BUSY CORRIDOR WITH NUMEROUS XMISSIONS. BECAUSE SEVERAL LANGUAGES CAN BE SPOKEN OVER SOME OF THE COUNTRIES, WE ARE VERY TUNED INTO A CLRNC WITH OUR CALL SIGN. THE ONLY EXPLANATION FOR THE CREW TO HAVE READ BACK A FALSE CLRNC WAS FOR THE CTLR TO HAVE GIVEN IT IN ERROR OR FOR US TO HAVE MISTAKEN IT FOR OURS DUE TO A SIMILAR CALL SIGN.
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.