A C550 flight crew began a descent after responding to an ATC clearance issued to another aircraft with similar sounding call sign; triggering a TCAS alert.

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Attributes
ACN	704287
Time
Date	200607
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pbi.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 22500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc tower : lga.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Citation II S2/Bravo
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc
Make Model Name	Boeing Company Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 850
ASRS Report	704287
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	704564
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne critical non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On approach to pbi while level at FL230 we were given a descent to FL210; which we read back. While descending through FL225 we received a TCAS alert; had visual contact with the traffic and we were able to maintain visual separation without evasive maneuvers. ATC asked if we were level at FL230 and we replied we were not; we were in a descent to FL210 and then we were advised to climb and maintain FL230. ATC questioned why we were in a descent to FL210 and we told him we were given the descent clearance with our last transmission. Upon landing in pbi we were told to contact ZMA. We spoke to the ZMA watch supervisor who had listened to the tapes of our xmissions and said he did not hear our clearance to descend; however; a similar sounding call sign did receive that clearance and during their response he heard a microphone key which he believed was our readback to the descent clearance; and the controller could not hear the readback due to the other aircraft reading back their clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C550 FLT CREW BEGAN A DSCNT AFTER RESPONDING TO AN ATC CLRNC ISSUED TO ANOTHER ACFT WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN; TRIGGERING A TCAS ALERT.

Narrative: ON APCH TO PBI WHILE LEVEL AT FL230 WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO FL210; WHICH WE READ BACK. WHILE DSNDING THROUGH FL225 WE RECEIVED A TCAS ALERT; HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITHOUT EVASIVE MANEUVERS. ATC ASKED IF WE WERE LEVEL AT FL230 AND WE REPLIED WE WERE NOT; WE WERE IN A DSCNT TO FL210 AND THEN WE WERE ADVISED TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL230. ATC QUESTIONED WHY WE WERE IN A DSCNT TO FL210 AND WE TOLD HIM WE WERE GIVEN THE DSCNT CLRNC WITH OUR LAST XMISSION. UPON LNDG IN PBI WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT ZMA. WE SPOKE TO THE ZMA WATCH SUPVR WHO HAD LISTENED TO THE TAPES OF OUR XMISSIONS AND SAID HE DID NOT HEAR OUR CLRNC TO DSND; HOWEVER; A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN DID RECEIVE THAT CLRNC AND DURING THEIR RESPONSE HE HEARD A MIKE KEY WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS OUR READBACK TO THE DSCNT CLRNC; AND THE CTLR COULD NOT HEAR THE READBACK DUE TO THE OTHER ACFT READING BACK THEIR CLRNC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.