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Enroute controller described a near separation loss when multiple same company aircraft with similar sounding flight numbers confused instructions/read backs and caused the event.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 997922 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201203 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.ARTCC |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Enroute |
| Qualification | Air Traffic Control Fully Certified |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | Enroute |
| Qualification | Air Traffic Control Developmental |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ATC Issue All Types |
Narrative:
I was at D2 which the stratum is up to FL350. Rx I think had 2 similar sounding call signs air carrier abc and air carrier air data computer. From what I gather; they were both shipped to ry and when the ry controller changed the altitude of air carrier air data computer from FL360 to FL350 when he was in ry's airspace; air carrier abc; who was in rx's airspace took it and descended. At ry; a pvd was quickly put up when rx noticed the air carrier descending. We had an aircraft at FL150 deviating; but we were able to turn and descend him just in case because we had no idea why the air carrier was descending. Nothing at sector 2 could have been done different; but every day all the time we have way too many similar sounding call signs in our airspace from the same company; mostly. They depart the same airport; fly almost the same routes and it's very dangerous. They also have routes that converge and we have to call traffic; which can be quite dangerous if one slips on listening. Also; the sectors in our area were completely saturated and were filled with deviations for weather. A little flow into the area would help with so many dangerous situations.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Enroute Controller described a near separation loss when multiple same company aircraft with similar sounding flight numbers confused instructions/read backs and caused the event.
Narrative: I was at D2 which the stratum is up to FL350. RX I think had 2 similar sounding call signs Air Carrier ABC and Air Carrier ADC. From what I gather; they were both shipped to RY and when the RY Controller changed the altitude of Air Carrier ADC from FL360 to FL350 when he was in RY's airspace; Air Carrier ABC; who was in RX's airspace took it and descended. At RY; a PVD was quickly put up when RX noticed the Air Carrier descending. We had an aircraft at FL150 deviating; but we were able to turn and descend him just in case because we had no idea why the Air Carrier was descending. Nothing at Sector 2 could have been done different; but every day all the time we have way too many similar sounding call signs in our airspace from the same company; mostly. They depart the same airport; fly almost the same routes and it's very dangerous. They also have routes that converge and we have to call traffic; which can be quite dangerous if one slips on listening. Also; the sectors in our area were completely saturated and were filled with deviations for weather. A little flow into the area would help with so many dangerous situations.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.