Flight crew of xyz flight requested higher altitude to climb out of turbulence. Accepted clearance t...

Attributes
ACN	112021
Time
Date	198905
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	112021
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were flight xyz and had been cleared to FL270. We were in and out of the cloud tops and the ride was very bad (mod and turbulence). Level at FL270, we asked center for higher altitude. The controller immediately responded, 'flight xyz climb and maintain FL310.' yep, you guessed it--we started to climb out of FL270. The alert crew of flight yyz was the one to catch it, stating, 'was that for yyz? I believe xyz took our clearance.' by that time we were climbing through FL276! The controller immediately cleared us to FL280 and repeated yyz, clearance to FL370. We were aware of the similar call sign of our company flight (we took off right behind him). But, since we were in turbulence and had asked for higher, and the controller immediately issued a climb clearance, all 3 of us thought it was for us. I really think the controller should have acknowledged our request before clearing yyz to FL310. Of course, I realized we were also at fault for not listening closely enough. I know you've read a million of these--but I think this has to be a classic case! The fact that all 3 of us believed that the clearance was for us demonstrates how insidious this was. We were getting the crap kicked out of us, asked for higher and heard and immediate response from center to climb! Only problem, of course, was the clearance was not for us--but 3 of us thought it was! I've been noticing lately how sloppy many controllers and pilots are at time while communicating--not reading back company names or even flight #'south at times. Too bad this awareness was not enough to save the day in this case!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF XYZ FLT REQUESTED HIGHER ALT TO CLIMB OUT OF TURBULENCE. ACCEPTED CLRNC TO CLIMB INTENDED FOR YYZ. SIMILAR SOUNDING FLT NUMBERS. FLT CREW OF YYZ CAUGHT THE ERROR AND CTLR THEN REPEATED CLRNC FOR YYZ AND GAVE CLIMB CLRNC TO XYZ.

Narrative: WE WERE FLT XYZ AND HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL270. WE WERE IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUD TOPS AND THE RIDE WAS VERY BAD (MOD AND TURB). LEVEL AT FL270, WE ASKED CENTER FOR HIGHER ALT. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED, 'FLT XYZ CLB AND MAINTAIN FL310.' YEP, YOU GUESSED IT--WE STARTED TO CLB OUT OF FL270. THE ALERT CREW OF FLT YYZ WAS THE ONE TO CATCH IT, STATING, 'WAS THAT FOR YYZ? I BELIEVE XYZ TOOK OUR CLRNC.' BY THAT TIME WE WERE CLBING THROUGH FL276! THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO FL280 AND REPEATED YYZ, CLRNC TO FL370. WE WERE AWARE OF THE SIMILAR CALL SIGN OF OUR COMPANY FLT (WE TOOK OFF RIGHT BEHIND HIM). BUT, SINCE WE WERE IN TURB AND HAD ASKED FOR HIGHER, AND THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY ISSUED A CLB CLRNC, ALL 3 OF US THOUGHT IT WAS FOR US. I REALLY THINK THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR REQUEST BEFORE CLRING YYZ TO FL310. OF COURSE, I REALIZED WE WERE ALSO AT FAULT FOR NOT LISTENING CLOSELY ENOUGH. I KNOW YOU'VE READ A MILLION OF THESE--BUT I THINK THIS HAS TO BE A CLASSIC CASE! THE FACT THAT ALL 3 OF US BELIEVED THAT THE CLRNC WAS FOR US DEMONSTRATES HOW INSIDIOUS THIS WAS. WE WERE GETTING THE CRAP KICKED OUT OF US, ASKED FOR HIGHER AND HEARD AND IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM CENTER TO CLB! ONLY PROB, OF COURSE, WAS THE CLRNC WAS NOT FOR US--BUT 3 OF US THOUGHT IT WAS! I'VE BEEN NOTICING LATELY HOW SLOPPY MANY CTLRS AND PLTS ARE AT TIME WHILE COMMUNICATING--NOT READING BACK COMPANY NAMES OR EVEN FLT #'S AT TIMES. TOO BAD THIS AWARENESS WAS NOT ENOUGH TO SAVE THE DAY IN THIS CASE!

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.

Flight crew of xyz flight requested higher altitude to climb out of turbulence. Accepted clearance to climb intended for yyz. Similar sounding flight numbers. Flight crew of yyz caught the error and controller then repeated clearance for yyz and gave climb clearance to xyz.