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A320 flight crew start descending and turning to another heading in response to another similar call sign from their company. Approach controller did not note the error during hearback acknowledgement from the wrong aircraft. However, did notice the wrong aircraft responding on radar.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 531224 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200111 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : fcm.vortac |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | msl single value : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : m98.tracon tower : lnk.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival star : n/s |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : m98.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 2100 |
| ASRS Report | 531224 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert controller : separated traffic flight crew : returned to assigned airspace |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
ATC issued instructions for us to descend to 8000 ft and turn right to heading 120 degrees. This seemed strange as the turn on the SID doesn't occur until after passing fcm. There was an emergency aircraft on frequency and we assumed the early turn was to accommodate them. In reality the turn was supposed to be for aircraft Y. There was also aircraft Z on frequency. All similar sounding call signs. So when we read back the clearance, the controller still did not catch his mistake. Solution: radio discipline.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FLC START DSNDING AND TURNING TO ANOTHER HDG IN RESPONSE TO ANOTHER SIMILAR CALL SIGN FROM THEIR COMPANY. APCH CTLR DID NOT NOTE THE ERROR DURING HEARBACK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE WRONG ACFT. HOWEVER, DID NOTICE THE WRONG ACFT RESPONDING ON RADAR.
Narrative: ATC ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FOR US TO DSND TO 8000 FT AND TURN R TO HDG 120 DEGS. THIS SEEMED STRANGE AS THE TURN ON THE SID DOESN'T OCCUR UNTIL AFTER PASSING FCM. THERE WAS AN EMER ACFT ON FREQ AND WE ASSUMED THE EARLY TURN WAS TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. IN REALITY THE TURN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ACFT Y. THERE WAS ALSO ACFT Z ON FREQ. ALL SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS. SO WHEN WE READ BACK THE CLRNC, THE CTLR STILL DID NOT CATCH HIS MISTAKE. SOLUTION: RADIO DISCIPLINE.
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.