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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Altitude excursion when a flight crew accepts a clearance meant for another flight with similar sounding alpha numerics, call sign, 5 mi northwest of iad, va.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 542094 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200203 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iad.airport |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : iad.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : iad.tracon |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7600 flight time type : 1400 |
| ASRS Report | 542094 |
| 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 |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to original clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After takeoff on runway 1L at dulles, we were level at 5000 ft on a 240 degree heading. Departure control gave us clearance to 14000 ft and a frequency change. As the PNF I answered, confirming these 2 things and using our call sign. I set the new altitude in the MCP window, the captain pointed to confirm and began to climb the aircraft. As I was dialing in the new frequency, the captain stated 'this doesn't look right, there's a guy at 6000 ft, check in with this guy and confirm' at the same time he leveled off at 5500 ft. I checked in with the new controller who told us to maintain 5000 ft and go back to our previous frequency. I immediately checked in with the original controller who informed us that we were one of 2 aircraft with similar sounding call signs, we had taken a call meant for the other aircraft and that he had missed it on our readback. The rest of the flight was uneventful. I have had numerous sits in the past when the controller has cautioned us about another aircraft on frequency with a similar sounding call sign and I have found that to be very helpful.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ALT EXCURSION WHEN A FLC ACCEPTS A CLRNC MEANT FOR ANOTHER FLT WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING ALPHA NUMERICS, CALL SIGN, 5 MI NW OF IAD, VA.
Narrative: AFTER TKOF ON RWY 1L AT DULLES, WE WERE LEVEL AT 5000 FT ON A 240 DEG HDG. DEP CTL GAVE US CLRNC TO 14000 FT AND A FREQ CHANGE. AS THE PNF I ANSWERED, CONFIRMING THESE 2 THINGS AND USING OUR CALL SIGN. I SET THE NEW ALT IN THE MCP WINDOW, THE CAPT POINTED TO CONFIRM AND BEGAN TO CLB THE ACFT. AS I WAS DIALING IN THE NEW FREQ, THE CAPT STATED 'THIS DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, THERE'S A GUY AT 6000 FT, CHK IN WITH THIS GUY AND CONFIRM' AT THE SAME TIME HE LEVELED OFF AT 5500 FT. I CHKED IN WITH THE NEW CTLR WHO TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT AND GO BACK TO OUR PREVIOUS FREQ. I IMMEDIATELY CHKED IN WITH THE ORIGINAL CTLR WHO INFORMED US THAT WE WERE ONE OF 2 ACFT WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS, WE HAD TAKEN A CALL MEANT FOR THE OTHER ACFT AND THAT HE HAD MISSED IT ON OUR READBACK. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS SITS IN THE PAST WHEN THE CTLR HAS CAUTIONED US ABOUT ANOTHER ACFT ON FREQ WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN AND I HAVE FOUND THAT TO BE VERY HELPFUL.
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.