Narrative:

Tower cleared us to climb to 5000'. Tower said to go to departure. I called departure and told them we were climbing to 5000' she told us to turn to 180 degrees and climb to 8000'. I answered by repeating what she said. As we were going through 6300', she called and told us to maintain 6000'. I told her we were already past 6000' on our way to 8000', and did she want us to go back to 6000'. She said to turn to 160 degrees and climb to FL210. She did not say our call sign, but we thought the call was for us. I called her back to verify. I called 5 or 6 times and got no response. She was talking to other planes, but would not answer us. When she did answer, she told us that was the first call she had heard. I told her she had given us 8000'. She said that that was for another plane. I said I would call in a few hours. When we called, the supervisor told us they had listened to the tapes and this is what happened. When we called departure a company ee called at the same time (we were aoee). Company ee was louder, but he said you could hear us in the background. The controller answered ee. We thought she said 'aoee.' both us and company ee answered the 8000' call. Once again the supervisor said you could hear us in the background answering the call. He said it was a strange coincidence that we both called at the same time, both answered at the same time, and our call signs were so close. He also said there was not a problem with traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER MLG ALT DEVIATION IN RESPONSE TO WRONG CALL SIGN.

Narrative: TWR CLRED US TO CLB TO 5000'. TWR SAID TO GO TO DEP. I CALLED DEP AND TOLD THEM WE WERE CLBING TO 5000' SHE TOLD US TO TURN TO 180 DEGS AND CLB TO 8000'. I ANSWERED BY REPEATING WHAT SHE SAID. AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH 6300', SHE CALLED AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 6000'. I TOLD HER WE WERE ALREADY PAST 6000' ON OUR WAY TO 8000', AND DID SHE WANT US TO GO BACK TO 6000'. SHE SAID TO TURN TO 160 DEGS AND CLB TO FL210. SHE DID NOT SAY OUR CALL SIGN, BUT WE THOUGHT THE CALL WAS FOR US. I CALLED HER BACK TO VERIFY. I CALLED 5 OR 6 TIMES AND GOT NO RESPONSE. SHE WAS TALKING TO OTHER PLANES, BUT WOULD NOT ANSWER US. WHEN SHE DID ANSWER, SHE TOLD US THAT WAS THE FIRST CALL SHE HAD HEARD. I TOLD HER SHE HAD GIVEN US 8000'. SHE SAID THAT THAT WAS FOR ANOTHER PLANE. I SAID I WOULD CALL IN A FEW HRS. WHEN WE CALLED, THE SUPVR TOLD US THEY HAD LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. WHEN WE CALLED DEP A COMPANY EE CALLED AT THE SAME TIME (WE WERE AOEE). COMPANY EE WAS LOUDER, BUT HE SAID YOU COULD HEAR US IN THE BACKGROUND. THE CTLR ANSWERED EE. WE THOUGHT SHE SAID 'AOEE.' BOTH US AND COMPANY EE ANSWERED THE 8000' CALL. ONCE AGAIN THE SUPVR SAID YOU COULD HEAR US IN THE BACKGROUND ANSWERING THE CALL. HE SAID IT WAS A STRANGE COINCIDENCE THAT WE BOTH CALLED AT THE SAME TIME, BOTH ANSWERED AT THE SAME TIME, AND OUR CALL SIGNS WERE SO CLOSE. HE ALSO SAID THERE WAS NOT A PROB WITH TFC.

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.