Narrative:

Mountain tops on both sides of salt lake obscured by 80 broken strato cumulus layer. Visibility above and below clouds, 30 mi. My flight (we were addressed as 'easy easy') was near the mountains southwest of slc at 12,000', 250 KTS heading 310 degree on vectors to slc airport. Approach then called, 'easy easy turn right to 340 degree and descend to 9000'.' the copilot was flying and set up the new heading and altitude on the autoflt system and began the descending turn while I repeated the instructions to approach control. There was no response from approach on my repeat. My copilot and I immediately came to the same conclusion that this was not a proper vector for 9000' (10,600' mountain in the area) and he stopped his descent at 11,400 as I said don't descend, let's confirm this. I asked approach to 'verify air carrier easy easy cleared to 9000' on 340 heading.' the next transmission was approach control saying 'air carrier easy easy eight turn right to 340 degree and descend to 9000'.' there was a same company easy easy eight in the area but none of this verbal exchange thus far made anything clearer so I again asked 'approach did you clear air carrier easy easy (slowly) to 9000'?' approach said negative maintain 12,000'. Conclusion: approach may have said easy easy eight on initial call but we both understood easy easy. The call signs are too similar for a busy hub arrival environment where everyone talks too fast. Approach did not respond to my call back or perhaps 'heard' easy easy eight as they expected! Four digit numbers discourage single digit vocalization. Having flown with the airlines for 21 yrs I feel that our antiquated radio communication procedures, in light of the tremendous traffic growth, must be addressed with priority! ATC as well as pilots ears are overloaded quite frequently. I don't understand why our flight number must be our ATC call sign. How about alpha numeric combinations?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CALL SIGN CONFUSION AND HEARBACK PROBLEM. TWO COMPANY ACFT ON APCH. CLRNC GIVEN TO WRONG ACFT.

Narrative: MOUNTAIN TOPS ON BOTH SIDES OF SALT LAKE OBSCURED BY 80 BROKEN STRATO CUMULUS LAYER. VISIBILITY ABOVE AND BELOW CLOUDS, 30 MI. MY FLT (WE WERE ADDRESSED AS 'EASY EASY') WAS NEAR THE MOUNTAINS SW OF SLC AT 12,000', 250 KTS HDG 310 DEG ON VECTORS TO SLC ARPT. APCH THEN CALLED, 'EASY EASY TURN RIGHT TO 340 DEG AND DSND TO 9000'.' THE COPLT WAS FLYING AND SET UP THE NEW HDG AND ALT ON THE AUTOFLT SYSTEM AND BEGAN THE DESCENDING TURN WHILE I REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO APCH CTL. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM APCH ON MY REPEAT. MY COPLT AND I IMMEDIATELY CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION THAT THIS WAS NOT A PROPER VECTOR FOR 9000' (10,600' MOUNTAIN IN THE AREA) AND HE STOPPED HIS DSCNT AT 11,400 AS I SAID DON'T DSND, LET'S CONFIRM THIS. I ASKED APCH TO 'VERIFY ACR EASY EASY CLRED TO 9000' ON 340 HDG.' THE NEXT XMISSION WAS APCH CTL SAYING 'ACR EASY EASY EIGHT TURN RIGHT TO 340 DEG AND DSND TO 9000'.' THERE WAS A SAME COMPANY EASY EASY EIGHT IN THE AREA BUT NONE OF THIS VERBAL EXCHANGE THUS FAR MADE ANYTHING CLEARER SO I AGAIN ASKED 'APCH DID YOU CLEAR ACR EASY EASY (SLOWLY) TO 9000'?' APCH SAID NEGATIVE MAINTAIN 12,000'. CONCLUSION: APCH MAY HAVE SAID EASY EASY EIGHT ON INITIAL CALL BUT WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD EASY EASY. THE CALL SIGNS ARE TOO SIMILAR FOR A BUSY HUB ARR ENVIRONMENT WHERE EVERYONE TALKS TOO FAST. APCH DID NOT RESPOND TO MY CALL BACK OR PERHAPS 'HEARD' EASY EASY EIGHT AS THEY EXPECTED! FOUR DIGIT NUMBERS DISCOURAGE SINGLE DIGIT VOCALIZATION. HAVING FLOWN WITH THE AIRLINES FOR 21 YRS I FEEL THAT OUR ANTIQUATED RADIO COM PROCS, IN LIGHT OF THE TREMENDOUS TFC GROWTH, MUST BE ADDRESSED WITH PRIORITY! ATC AS WELL AS PLTS EARS ARE OVERLOADED QUITE FREQUENTLY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY OUR FLT NUMBER MUST BE OUR ATC CALL SIGN. HOW ABOUT ALPHA NUMERIC COMBINATIONS?

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.