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Controller use of wrong call sign set up possible conflict of two IFR aircraft. Operational deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 90648 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198807 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sie |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9200 flight time type : 750 |
| ASRS Report | 90648 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 90545 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Deviation |
Narrative:
This occurrence took place between 2 aircraft with similar call signs. We were in the area north of sea isle VOR when ZDC instructed our flight to descend from 12000 to 11000' and to expedite our descent due to traffic. We acknowledged with full call sign and flight # read back. With no response that the clearance might have been for another aircraft, we started our descent expeditiously as requested. When leaving 11600', I heard a similar aircraft call sign also respond to the same clearance. I then asked center to verify our clearance to 11000' and got no response from center. I tried again to verify our clearance and was cut out by another aircraft. By this time we were at 11400' when ZDC called our call sign and told us that we were assigned 12000'. The controller then gave us a descent to 10000'. After landing in phl I called center to check on the deviation. The supervisor for that shift listened to the tape and verified that my radio xmissions were received loud and clear but the controller didn't respond that we had accepted a clearance for another aircraft with similar call sign. Supplemental information from acn 90545: when no less than 8 people want to talk at once and the controller is running 2 frequencys and many landlines, there is a lot of room for error. We need more qualified air traffic controllers! The frequencys and controllers are both very overloaded for safe flight operations.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR USE OF WRONG CALL SIGN SET UP POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF TWO IFR ACFT. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.
Narrative: THIS OCCURRENCE TOOK PLACE BTWN 2 ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. WE WERE IN THE AREA N OF SEA ISLE VOR WHEN ZDC INSTRUCTED OUR FLT TO DSND FROM 12000 TO 11000' AND TO EXPEDITE OUR DSCNT DUE TO TFC. WE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH FULL CALL SIGN AND FLT # READ BACK. WITH NO RESPONSE THAT THE CLRNC MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOR ANOTHER ACFT, WE STARTED OUR DSCNT EXPEDITIOUSLY AS REQUESTED. WHEN LEAVING 11600', I HEARD A SIMILAR ACFT CALL SIGN ALSO RESPOND TO THE SAME CLRNC. I THEN ASKED CENTER TO VERIFY OUR CLRNC TO 11000' AND GOT NO RESPONSE FROM CENTER. I TRIED AGAIN TO VERIFY OUR CLRNC AND WAS CUT OUT BY ANOTHER ACFT. BY THIS TIME WE WERE AT 11400' WHEN ZDC CALLED OUR CALL SIGN AND TOLD US THAT WE WERE ASSIGNED 12000'. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US A DSCNT TO 10000'. AFTER LNDG IN PHL I CALLED CENTER TO CHK ON THE DEVIATION. THE SUPVR FOR THAT SHIFT LISTENED TO THE TAPE AND VERIFIED THAT MY RADIO XMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED LOUD AND CLEAR BUT THE CTLR DIDN'T RESPOND THAT WE HAD ACCEPTED A CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 90545: WHEN NO LESS THAN 8 PEOPLE WANT TO TALK AT ONCE AND THE CTLR IS RUNNING 2 FREQS AND MANY LANDLINES, THERE IS A LOT OF ROOM FOR ERROR. WE NEED MORE QUALIFIED AIR TFC CTLRS! THE FREQS AND CTLRS ARE BOTH VERY OVERLOADED FOR SAFE FLT OPS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.