Narrative:

We were in cruise flight at FL370 on J34 near grr (grand rapids; mi) eastbound to iad. As it turned out we were behind another aircraft from our company with a similar sounding call sign. We were both on the same frequency with ZOB. Our other company aircraft was en route also. We were aware that they were ahead of us and were careful about the similar call signs. Upon checking in with ZOB we were instructed to stand by. The controller was very busy and we waited quietly to hear back from him as he dealt with other aircraft. After a few moments the controller asked our sister ship if they could accept FL390. Their crew responded with a stand by; while they checked their weight and performance data. They soon answered that they could accept FL390 and the controller then cleared them to climb to FL390 for crossing traffic. In the meantime in our aircraft we noticed on TCAS an aircraft at our altitude off our right side that appeared to be intercepting our path. We soon felt that the controller was looking at us and yet instructing our sister ship to do the climb that was really meant for us. We broke into the conversation and explained to the controller that we believed that his instruction was being given to the wrong aircraft; our sister ship ahead of us. We were hoping the controller would correct this error and send us up to clear the crossing aircraft and perhaps advise our sister ship to cancel their instructions. Unfortunately; the controller became more confused and excited and continued to call our sister ship to climb rapidly and turn left. He also instructed the other aircraft to turn and descend. We never heard the other aircraft answer and believe that the controller was working 2 frequencys in his sector. By now things were getting tight with respect to our crossing traffic; so we began a climb and started a left turn. I keyed the radio and told the controller we were climbing and turning that he was giving instruction to the wrong aircraft but we were complying. By now the poor guy was a basket case. Both of us were climbing and turning even though he never specifically called us by our correct number. As it turned out he really was trying to direct our aircraft but never got our call sign correct. We safely missed the crossing traffic and never received a TA. We also never received clearance to do what we did because the controller issued all his instructions to our sister ship. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the 2 company aircraft were G200's and that the controller sent them off to new frequencys without ever acknowledging that there had been a problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZOB ARTCC GETS SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS OF 2 G200 ACFT CONFUSED.

Narrative: WE WERE IN CRUISE FLT AT FL370 ON J34 NEAR GRR (GRAND RAPIDS; MI) EBOUND TO IAD. AS IT TURNED OUT WE WERE BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT FROM OUR COMPANY WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN. WE WERE BOTH ON THE SAME FREQ WITH ZOB. OUR OTHER COMPANY ACFT WAS ENRTE ALSO. WE WERE AWARE THAT THEY WERE AHEAD OF US AND WERE CAREFUL ABOUT THE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. UPON CHKING IN WITH ZOB WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO STAND BY. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY AND WE WAITED QUIETLY TO HEAR BACK FROM HIM AS HE DEALT WITH OTHER ACFT. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS THE CTLR ASKED OUR SISTER SHIP IF THEY COULD ACCEPT FL390. THEIR CREW RESPONDED WITH A STAND BY; WHILE THEY CHKED THEIR WT AND PERFORMANCE DATA. THEY SOON ANSWERED THAT THEY COULD ACCEPT FL390 AND THE CTLR THEN CLRED THEM TO CLB TO FL390 FOR XING TFC. IN THE MEANTIME IN OUR ACFT WE NOTICED ON TCAS AN ACFT AT OUR ALT OFF OUR R SIDE THAT APPEARED TO BE INTERCEPTING OUR PATH. WE SOON FELT THAT THE CTLR WAS LOOKING AT US AND YET INSTRUCTING OUR SISTER SHIP TO DO THE CLB THAT WAS REALLY MEANT FOR US. WE BROKE INTO THE CONVERSATION AND EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT WE BELIEVED THAT HIS INSTRUCTION WAS BEING GIVEN TO THE WRONG ACFT; OUR SISTER SHIP AHEAD OF US. WE WERE HOPING THE CTLR WOULD CORRECT THIS ERROR AND SEND US UP TO CLR THE XING ACFT AND PERHAPS ADVISE OUR SISTER SHIP TO CANCEL THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. UNFORTUNATELY; THE CTLR BECAME MORE CONFUSED AND EXCITED AND CONTINUED TO CALL OUR SISTER SHIP TO CLB RAPIDLY AND TURN L. HE ALSO INSTRUCTED THE OTHER ACFT TO TURN AND DSND. WE NEVER HEARD THE OTHER ACFT ANSWER AND BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR WAS WORKING 2 FREQS IN HIS SECTOR. BY NOW THINGS WERE GETTING TIGHT WITH RESPECT TO OUR XING TFC; SO WE BEGAN A CLB AND STARTED A L TURN. I KEYED THE RADIO AND TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE CLBING AND TURNING THAT HE WAS GIVING INSTRUCTION TO THE WRONG ACFT BUT WE WERE COMPLYING. BY NOW THE POOR GUY WAS A BASKET CASE. BOTH OF US WERE CLBING AND TURNING EVEN THOUGH HE NEVER SPECIFICALLY CALLED US BY OUR CORRECT NUMBER. AS IT TURNED OUT HE REALLY WAS TRYING TO DIRECT OUR ACFT BUT NEVER GOT OUR CALL SIGN CORRECT. WE SAFELY MISSED THE XING TFC AND NEVER RECEIVED A TA. WE ALSO NEVER RECEIVED CLRNC TO DO WHAT WE DID BECAUSE THE CTLR ISSUED ALL HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO OUR SISTER SHIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE 2 COMPANY ACFT WERE G200'S AND THAT THE CTLR SENT THEM OFF TO NEW FREQS WITHOUT EVER ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROB.

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.