Flight crew of commuter missed a clearance that center controller thought they had received.

Attributes
ACN	127941
Time
Date	198911
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : orl
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	127941
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While flying flight from fll to orl for X airlines, we were contacted by center and asked what altitude we were at. We replied that we were at 10000'. Center then said that we had been cleared from 10000' down to 6000', and given a heading of 120 degrees. Center said we acknowledged this when it was given. We informed him that we had not received these instructions, and had not acknowledged them. Center then told us to descend to 6000' and turn to 130 degrees. We did this; nothing else was said. Obviously there is a problem here. If center did give the instruction, then it was stepped on or blocked and center heard another aircraft respond and assumed it was us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF COMMUTER MISSED A CLRNC THAT CENTER CTLR THOUGHT THEY HAD RECEIVED.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING FLT FROM FLL TO ORL FOR X AIRLINES, WE WERE CONTACTED BY CENTER AND ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE AT. WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE AT 10000'. CENTER THEN SAID THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED FROM 10000' DOWN TO 6000', AND GIVEN A HDG OF 120 DEGS. CENTER SAID WE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WHEN IT WAS GIVEN. WE INFORMED HIM THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED THESE INSTRUCTIONS, AND HAD NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THEM. CENTER THEN TOLD US TO DSND TO 6000' AND TURN TO 130 DEGS. WE DID THIS; NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A PROB HERE. IF CENTER DID GIVE THE INSTRUCTION, THEN IT WAS STEPPED ON OR BLOCKED AND CENTER HEARD ANOTHER ACFT RESPOND AND ASSUMED IT WAS US.

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.