Narrative:

We checked on with approach (we had been on the CQY5 arrival for dfw). Approach assigned a heading for the runway 31R localizer. I then called operations for a gate assignment. While talking to operations, I heard a frequency change for us. The first officer responded and checked in on the new frequency. We were then cleared to jobbs for runway 35C. I put it in the FMS and we proceeded. Shortly after, a company aircraft called us on company frequency and told us approach was looking for us on another frequency (I think it was our previous frequency). I queried the frequency we were on. He asked who, and what, we were doing. I told him and he said he had not given us that clearance. He then gave us a heading, altitude, and new frequency. We complied and were then vectored for runway 35R for an uneventful landing. I do not know how we got into this situation. I wish I knew, but can only speculate. I believe I clearly heard the clrncs. That being said, the only thing it could have been was we received a clearance intended for another aircraft. I think the controller might have been looking at us and thinking of someone else or vice-versa. The only other possibility is we took a clearance intended for someone else and it was not caught in the readback. But I believe we did receive this clearance. I considered questioning the abrupt change in our clearance but the frequency was very busy and it would have been difficult to get a word in. One more thing. This did not contribute to us getting into the situation but it hindered a quick resolution. When I queried the controller, after our company plane contacted us, he was not very friendly about it to say the least. This disturbed us to the extent that we had difficulty retaining and executing further clrncs. As long as humans are involved, there will be mistakes on both sides. When these mistakes slip through the cracks and a crew gets in a situation, we need clear unbiased instruction to expedite getting us to where we need to be. There is no place, or time, for attitude when an airplane is going the wrong way. This mistake involved 2 controllers. I know for these clrncs they are not responsible for catching mistakes, but it puzzles me how we gave full readbacks with full call signs and it was never caught. It was very busy for them and us. I guess everyone was overloaded.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW TOOK A FREQ HDOF INTENDED FOR ANOTHER ACFT. THEY WERE OFF THE CORRECT APCH CTL FREQ FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

Narrative: WE CHKED ON WITH APCH (WE HAD BEEN ON THE CQY5 ARR FOR DFW). APCH ASSIGNED A HEADING FOR THE RWY 31R LOC. I THEN CALLED OPS FOR A GATE ASSIGNMENT. WHILE TALKING TO OPS, I HEARD A FREQ CHANGE FOR US. THE FO RESPONDED AND CHKED IN ON THE NEW FREQ. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO JOBBS FOR RWY 35C. I PUT IT IN THE FMS AND WE PROCEEDED. SHORTLY AFTER, A COMPANY ACFT CALLED US ON COMPANY FREQ AND TOLD US APCH WAS LOOKING FOR US ON ANOTHER FREQ (I THINK IT WAS OUR PREVIOUS FREQ). I QUERIED THE FREQ WE WERE ON. HE ASKED WHO, AND WHAT, WE WERE DOING. I TOLD HIM AND HE SAID HE HAD NOT GIVEN US THAT CLRNC. HE THEN GAVE US A HEADING, ALT, AND NEW FREQ. WE COMPLIED AND WERE THEN VECTORED FOR RWY 35R FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I DO NOT KNOW HOW WE GOT INTO THIS SIT. I WISH I KNEW, BUT CAN ONLY SPECULATE. I BELIEVE I CLRLY HEARD THE CLRNCS. THAT BEING SAID, THE ONLY THING IT COULD HAVE BEEN WAS WE RECEIVED A CLRNC INTENDED FOR ANOTHER ACFT. I THINK THE CTLR MIGHT HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT US AND THINKING OF SOMEONE ELSE OR VICE-VERSA. THE ONLY OTHER POSSIBILITY IS WE TOOK A CLRNC INTENDED FOR SOMEONE ELSE AND IT WAS NOT CAUGHT IN THE READBACK. BUT I BELIEVE WE DID RECEIVE THIS CLRNC. I CONSIDERED QUESTIONING THE ABRUPT CHANGE IN OUR CLRNC BUT THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO GET A WORD IN. ONE MORE THING. THIS DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO US GETTING INTO THE SIT BUT IT HINDERED A QUICK RESOLUTION. WHEN I QUERIED THE CTLR, AFTER OUR COMPANY PLANE CONTACTED US, HE WAS NOT VERY FRIENDLY ABOUT IT TO SAY THE LEAST. THIS DISTURBED US TO THE EXTENT THAT WE HAD DIFFICULTY RETAINING AND EXECUTING FURTHER CLRNCS. AS LONG AS HUMANS ARE INVOLVED, THERE WILL BE MISTAKES ON BOTH SIDES. WHEN THESE MISTAKES SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS AND A CREW GETS IN A SIT, WE NEED CLR UNBIASED INSTRUCTION TO EXPEDITE GETTING US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE. THERE IS NO PLACE, OR TIME, FOR ATTITUDE WHEN AN AIRPLANE IS GOING THE WRONG WAY. THIS MISTAKE INVOLVED 2 CTLRS. I KNOW FOR THESE CLRNCS THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CATCHING MISTAKES, BUT IT PUZZLES ME HOW WE GAVE FULL READBACKS WITH FULL CALL SIGNS AND IT WAS NEVER CAUGHT. IT WAS VERY BUSY FOR THEM AND US. I GUESS EVERYONE WAS OVERLOADED.

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.