Clt approach controller confuses same company DHC8 similar sounding call signs causing less than legal separation with jetstream on a visual approach to another runway. Reporter maintained separation visually after TCASII TA pointed out the traffic.

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Attributes
ACN	489874
Time
Date	200010
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	489874
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error other

Narrative:

Talked to controller in radar ATC clt oct/mon/00, XA10 local. Final controller cleared air carrier X for visual approach 7-9 mi out. Also on frequency and behind our flight air carrier Y, dash 8. Control called to make a left turn to 240 degree heading. Captain asked for confirmation using air carrier X call sign and control confirmed heading change and altitude change to 2300 ft. We had visual on traffic which was a jetstream (air carrier Z) on final to other runway. We had both visual and TCASII on traffic. TCASII called for a descent which we were doing prior to the RA. Cause of near miss was confusion of call sign by control between air carrier X and air carrier Y. Captain could have refused turn, but we did get confirmation of the turn and descent, and were afraid that we did not see traffic on our right.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLT APCH CTLR CONFUSES SAME COMPANY DHC8 SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS CAUSING LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION WITH JETSTREAM ON A VISUAL APCH TO ANOTHER RWY. RPTR MAINTAINED SEPARATION VISUALLY AFTER TCASII TA POINTED OUT THE TFC.

Narrative: TALKED TO CTLR IN RADAR ATC CLT OCT/MON/00, XA10 LCL. FINAL CTLR CLRED ACR X FOR VISUAL APCH 7-9 MI OUT. ALSO ON FREQ AND BEHIND OUR FLT ACR Y, DASH 8. CTL CALLED TO MAKE A L TURN TO 240 DEG HDG. CAPT ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION USING ACR X CALL SIGN AND CTL CONFIRMED HEADING CHANGE AND ALT CHANGE TO 2300 FT. WE HAD VISUAL ON TFC WHICH WAS A JETSTREAM (ACR Z) ON FINAL TO OTHER RWY. WE HAD BOTH VISUAL AND TCASII ON TFC. TCASII CALLED FOR A DSCNT WHICH WE WERE DOING PRIOR TO THE RA. CAUSE OF NEAR MISS WAS CONFUSION OF CALL SIGN BY CTL BTWN ACR X AND ACR Y. CAPT COULD HAVE REFUSED TURN, BUT WE DID GET CONFIRMATION OF THE TURN AND DSCNT, AND WERE AFRAID THAT WE DID NOT SEE TFC ON OUR R.

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.