Narrative:

Flight from mfe to iah, airlines a flight XX18. On approaching iah, we were given the gland 6 arrival. The first officer was flying and I (captain) was working the radio. I have flown this arrival hundreds of times and therefore I am very familiar with the procedures and what to expect. Just prior to crossing gland, we were switched to houston approach. Approach told us to maintain 10000' and turn left to a heading of 320 degrees over oxxen. At about 30 DME, approach said, 'air carrier X XX18, descend to 5000.' I replied by repeating the clearance to 5000'. The first officer heard the same thing and set 5000' in the altitude alert. I commented to the first officer that that was unusual, because we are usually given 6000' at that point on the arrival. I started to question the controller about the altitude, but since I have been given other altitudes at that point, I let it go because the first officer and I had heard the 5000' clearance. Passing through 6500', the controller said, 'air carrier X XX18, what is your altitude?' I responded, 'XX18 passing through 6500 for 5000.' (I emphasized 5000' because there was still a question in the back of my mind if the controller had intended to give us 6000'.) the controller responded, 'air carrier a XX18, that was not for you.' then he asked an air carrier B X18 for his altitude. I do not remember the reply from air carrier B. We leveled at 5000' at about 15 DME. At 6 DME (oxxen), we turned to a heading of 320 degrees for a downwind to runway 14L. About that time, approach said, 'air carrier a XX18, what is your altitude?' I replied, 'level 5000 assigned.' he came back, 'you were assigned 6000!!' I replied, 'no sir, you assigned us 5000 and I read that back to you twice!' he didn't say anything else about the altitude. We continued the approach and landed. The controller thought that he had given us the standard 6000' altitude after gland, but he had not. Maybe he had us confused with the air carrier B X18 that had a similar call sign? Even though he may have thought he had given us 6000', he did not make any corrections when on 2 occasions I read back 5000'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT GIVEN ALT ASSIGNMENT FOR ANOTHER ACR WITH SIMILAR SAME A/N.

Narrative: FLT FROM MFE TO IAH, AIRLINES A FLT XX18. ON APCHING IAH, WE WERE GIVEN THE GLAND 6 ARR. THE F/O WAS FLYING AND I (CAPT) WAS WORKING THE RADIO. I HAVE FLOWN THIS ARR HUNDREDS OF TIMES AND THEREFORE I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCS AND WHAT TO EXPECT. JUST PRIOR TO XING GLAND, WE WERE SWITCHED TO HOUSTON APCH. APCH TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 10000' AND TURN LEFT TO A HDG OF 320 DEGS OVER OXXEN. AT ABOUT 30 DME, APCH SAID, 'ACR X XX18, DSND TO 5000.' I REPLIED BY REPEATING THE CLRNC TO 5000'. THE F/O HEARD THE SAME THING AND SET 5000' IN THE ALT ALERT. I COMMENTED TO THE F/O THAT THAT WAS UNUSUAL, BECAUSE WE ARE USUALLY GIVEN 6000' AT THAT POINT ON THE ARR. I STARTED TO QUESTION THE CTLR ABOUT THE ALT, BUT SINCE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN OTHER ALTS AT THAT POINT, I LET IT GO BECAUSE THE F/O AND I HAD HEARD THE 5000' CLRNC. PASSING THROUGH 6500', THE CTLR SAID, 'ACR X XX18, WHAT IS YOUR ALT?' I RESPONDED, 'XX18 PASSING THROUGH 6500 FOR 5000.' (I EMPHASIZED 5000' BECAUSE THERE WAS STILL A QUESTION IN THE BACK OF MY MIND IF THE CTLR HAD INTENDED TO GIVE US 6000'.) THE CTLR RESPONDED, 'ACR A XX18, THAT WAS NOT FOR YOU.' THEN HE ASKED AN ACR B X18 FOR HIS ALT. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE REPLY FROM ACR B. WE LEVELED AT 5000' AT ABOUT 15 DME. AT 6 DME (OXXEN), WE TURNED TO A HDG OF 320 DEGS FOR A DOWNWIND TO RWY 14L. ABOUT THAT TIME, APCH SAID, 'ACR A XX18, WHAT IS YOUR ALT?' I REPLIED, 'LEVEL 5000 ASSIGNED.' HE CAME BACK, 'YOU WERE ASSIGNED 6000!!' I REPLIED, 'NO SIR, YOU ASSIGNED US 5000 AND I READ THAT BACK TO YOU TWICE!' HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE ALT. WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED. THE CTLR THOUGHT THAT HE HAD GIVEN US THE STANDARD 6000' ALT AFTER GLAND, BUT HE HAD NOT. MAYBE HE HAD US CONFUSED WITH THE ACR B X18 THAT HAD A SIMILAR CALL SIGN? EVEN THOUGH HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT HE HAD GIVEN US 6000', HE DID NOT MAKE ANY CORRECTIONS WHEN ON 2 OCCASIONS I READ BACK 5000'.

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.