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ZMP controller, misunderstanding who he issued a descent clearance to, reclrs an A319 back to FL350 and correct a descent clearance to another air carrier with a similar sounding call sign.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 602951 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200312 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zmp.artcc |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 34500 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | Turbulence |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zmp.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A319 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level cruise : enroute altitude change |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zmp.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 3150 |
| ASRS Report | 602951 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 550 |
| ASRS Report | 602952 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : separated traffic flight crew : returned to original clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
At XA00Z, at FL350, just switched from ZAU to ZMP. The controller acknowledged our check on frequency and advised us that turbulence was ahead at FL350. The controller recommended we descend to FL310. The first officer was handling radio communications, but eating dinner at the same time. He acknowledged ZMP. As he was eating, I recontacted ZMP and asked the controller if possible to get us FL310 before we reached the area of turbulence. The controller replied, 'will fix that problem right now, descend to FL310.' I acknowledged 'thank you, we're descending to FL310.' within 30 seconds of this transmission, another air carrier advised center that he also wanted to descend to FL310 for the turbulence. The msp controller then stated, 'I just cleared you to FL310.' a moment later, the msp controller realized his mistake and stated 'air carrier X, maintain FL350.' at this point, we were at FL345 and immediately returned to FL350. The controller then stated that he would shortly get us FL310 and again cleared air carrier Y to FL310. We queried the controller as to whether there was any problem and the controller stated that there was no problem. This situation occurred, as I see it, because the controller did not advise us that here was a similar call sign on the frequency on our first contact. The controller misunderstood who he was talking to when we asked for a descent to FL310. The controller also did not clearly identify our call sign to descend to FL310. Rather, he stated he could fix the problem by clearing us to FL310 at that time. I further did not clearly identify that air carrier X was descending to FL310, rather stated 'thank you, descending to FL310.' there were no traffic conflicts and I feel that all parties learned an important lesson to be sure to identify the airline and flight number in every transmission. Supplemental information from acn 602952: one thing that I would mention was that 2 different sounding pilots from the same flight may have lent to any confusion on the part of the controller. I do not remember specifically if my captain used our call sign when he spoke to them after my query regarding turbulence.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZMP CTLR, MISUNDERSTANDING WHO HE ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC TO, RECLRS AN A319 BACK TO FL350 AND CORRECT A DSCNT CLRNC TO ANOTHER ACR WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN.
Narrative: AT XA00Z, AT FL350, JUST SWITCHED FROM ZAU TO ZMP. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CHK ON FREQ AND ADVISED US THAT TURB WAS AHEAD AT FL350. THE CTLR RECOMMENDED WE DSND TO FL310. THE FO WAS HANDLING RADIO COMS, BUT EATING DINNER AT THE SAME TIME. HE ACKNOWLEDGED ZMP. AS HE WAS EATING, I RECONTACTED ZMP AND ASKED THE CTLR IF POSSIBLE TO GET US FL310 BEFORE WE REACHED THE AREA OF TURB. THE CTLR REPLIED, 'WILL FIX THAT PROB RIGHT NOW, DSND TO FL310.' I ACKNOWLEDGED 'THANK YOU, WE'RE DSNDING TO FL310.' WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF THIS XMISSION, ANOTHER ACR ADVISED CTR THAT HE ALSO WANTED TO DSND TO FL310 FOR THE TURB. THE MSP CTLR THEN STATED, 'I JUST CLRED YOU TO FL310.' A MOMENT LATER, THE MSP CTLR REALIZED HIS MISTAKE AND STATED 'ACR X, MAINTAIN FL350.' AT THIS POINT, WE WERE AT FL345 AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO FL350. THE CTLR THEN STATED THAT HE WOULD SHORTLY GET US FL310 AND AGAIN CLRED ACR Y TO FL310. WE QUERIED THE CTLR AS TO WHETHER THERE WAS ANY PROB AND THE CTLR STATED THAT THERE WAS NO PROB. THIS SIT OCCURRED, AS I SEE IT, BECAUSE THE CTLR DID NOT ADVISE US THAT HERE WAS A SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON THE FREQ ON OUR FIRST CONTACT. THE CTLR MISUNDERSTOOD WHO HE WAS TALKING TO WHEN WE ASKED FOR A DSCNT TO FL310. THE CTLR ALSO DID NOT CLRLY IDENT OUR CALL SIGN TO DSND TO FL310. RATHER, HE STATED HE COULD FIX THE PROB BY CLRING US TO FL310 AT THAT TIME. I FURTHER DID NOT CLRLY IDENT THAT ACR X WAS DSNDING TO FL310, RATHER STATED 'THANK YOU, DSNDING TO FL310.' THERE WERE NO TFC CONFLICTS AND I FEEL THAT ALL PARTIES LEARNED AN IMPORTANT LESSON TO BE SURE TO IDENT THE AIRLINE AND FLT NUMBER IN EVERY XMISSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 602952: ONE THING THAT I WOULD MENTION WAS THAT 2 DIFFERENT SOUNDING PLTS FROM THE SAME FLT MAY HAVE LENT TO ANY CONFUSION ON THE PART OF THE CTLR. I DO NOT REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY IF MY CAPT USED OUR CALL SIGN WHEN HE SPOKE TO THEM AFTER MY QUERY REGARDING TURB.
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.