Air carrier on missed approach climbed to an altitude occupied by another aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	118229
Time
Date	198907
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : day
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4200
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : day artcc : zma
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude landing : missed approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	118229
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	117797
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On approach control, I heard the controller give a flight, on an apparent missed approach, clearance to turn westerly and climb to 3000'. Within 30 seconds the controller gave us the traffic at 10 or 11 O'clock climbing to 3000'. At the same time he was giving us the traffic, we saw a company air carrier Y in a left turn at about 1/2 mi converging, still climbing, and appearing to be within 400' of our altitude. At this point, not knowing what the other aircraft was going to do, I turned off the autoplt and climbed the aircraft as we flew over the other aircraft at 4200'. Within a few seconds of crossing courses with the air carrier Y, the controller asked what his altitude was. His reply was 'level at 4000'. The pilot of the air carrier Y said that he read back 4000' and a discussion between the 2 followed. The similarity of call signs and a busy radio were the subject of that discussion. The crew of the air carrier Y reported it did not see us. Contributing factors: 1) more traffic than usual. 2) similar call signs. Our call sign and the conflicting aircraft both had call signs ending with the same last 2 digits.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON MISSED APCH CLIMBED TO AN ALT OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: ON APCH CTL, I HEARD THE CTLR GIVE A FLT, ON AN APPARENT MISSED APCH, CLRNC TO TURN WESTERLY AND CLIMB TO 3000'. WITHIN 30 SECONDS THE CTLR GAVE US THE TFC AT 10 OR 11 O'CLOCK CLIMBING TO 3000'. AT THE SAME TIME HE WAS GIVING US THE TFC, WE SAW A COMPANY ACR Y IN A LEFT TURN AT ABOUT 1/2 MI CONVERGING, STILL CLIMBING, AND APPEARING TO BE WITHIN 400' OF OUR ALT. AT THIS POINT, NOT KNOWING WHAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS GOING TO DO, I TURNED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND CLIMBED THE ACFT AS WE FLEW OVER THE OTHER ACFT AT 4200'. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS OF XING COURSES WITH THE ACR Y, THE CTLR ASKED WHAT HIS ALT WAS. HIS REPLY WAS 'LEVEL AT 4000'. THE PLT OF THE ACR Y SAID THAT HE READ BACK 4000' AND A DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE 2 FOLLOWED. THE SIMILARITY OF CALL SIGNS AND A BUSY RADIO WERE THE SUBJECT OF THAT DISCUSSION. THE CREW OF THE ACR Y REPORTED IT DID NOT SEE US. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) MORE TFC THAN USUAL. 2) SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. OUR CALL SIGN AND THE CONFLICTING ACFT BOTH HAD CALL SIGNS ENDING WITH THE SAME LAST 2 DIGITS.

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.