Narrative:

We took off east, with a departure clearance of runway heading and up to 4000'. Departure control turned us to 290 degrees and switched us to center frequency. We were cleared to 15000'. We checked in with center and acknowledged all clrncs using our flight addb call sign. As we climbed through 6000', I wondered about the fact that 15000' was the wrong altitude. For our direction of flight and asked the first officer to confirm the clearance. He did, using our addb call sign, and center confirmed the 15000' altitude clearance, acknowledging our use of and in return addressing us by our addb call sign. At this time another flight, eastbound flight xxdb, broke in and wondered if maybe we, flight addb, hadn't been getting their clearance. Center suddenly realized they had the 2 flight's confused and told us, addb, to level at our present altitude (8500') and return to departure control frequency. We did and departure apologized for the confusion and gave us another center frequency. We contacted another center on another frequency and were cleared to 10000', and then to 14000' as filed. Safety was never compromised, there were no close calls, and no abrupt or evasive actions were taken, but this narrative again points out the problems inherent to similar flight #'south operating in the same area at the same time. Flight xxdb had taken off ahead of us, and while it is possible we responded to a frequency switch given by departure control to xxdb, I believe departure switched us addb, instead of xxdb, to center frequency and created the confusion. At any rate, we checked in on frequency using our addb call sign, were addressed by center as addb, and responded as addb. We even questioned and asked for confirmation, and received it as addb. Suggestions and solutions: center and probably departure control need to pay closer attention to flight #'south. A correct clearance given to the wrong flight is almost worse than no clearance at all. Flight crews maybe need to be a little quicker and a little more forceful in questioning things when they just don't sound right. The first party aware of proximity of similar flight #'south needs to be sure all interested parties are equally aware of the fact.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG CLRNC RESPONSE TO WRONG CALL SIGN. CLRNC READBACK HEARBACK.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF E, WITH A DEP CLRNC OF RWY HDG AND UP TO 4000'. DEP CTL TURNED US TO 290 DEGS AND SWITCHED US TO CENTER FREQ. WE WERE CLRED TO 15000'. WE CHKED IN WITH CENTER AND ACKNOWLEDGED ALL CLRNCS USING OUR FLT ADDB CALL SIGN. AS WE CLBED THROUGH 6000', I WONDERED ABOUT THE FACT THAT 15000' WAS THE WRONG ALT. FOR OUR DIRECTION OF FLT AND ASKED THE F/O TO CONFIRM THE CLRNC. HE DID, USING OUR ADDB CALL SIGN, AND CENTER CONFIRMED THE 15000' ALT CLRNC, ACKNOWLEDGING OUR USE OF AND IN RETURN ADDRESSING US BY OUR ADDB CALL SIGN. AT THIS TIME ANOTHER FLT, EBND FLT XXDB, BROKE IN AND WONDERED IF MAYBE WE, FLT ADDB, HADN'T BEEN GETTING THEIR CLRNC. CENTER SUDDENLY REALIZED THEY HAD THE 2 FLT'S CONFUSED AND TOLD US, ADDB, TO LEVEL AT OUR PRESENT ALT (8500') AND RETURN TO DEP CTL FREQ. WE DID AND DEP APOLOGIZED FOR THE CONFUSION AND GAVE US ANOTHER CENTER FREQ. WE CONTACTED ANOTHER CENTER ON ANOTHER FREQ AND WERE CLRED TO 10000', AND THEN TO 14000' AS FILED. SAFETY WAS NEVER COMPROMISED, THERE WERE NO CLOSE CALLS, AND NO ABRUPT OR EVASIVE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN, BUT THIS NARRATIVE AGAIN POINTS OUT THE PROBS INHERENT TO SIMILAR FLT #'S OPERATING IN THE SAME AREA AT THE SAME TIME. FLT XXDB HAD TAKEN OFF AHEAD OF US, AND WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE WE RESPONDED TO A FREQ SWITCH GIVEN BY DEP CTL TO XXDB, I BELIEVE DEP SWITCHED US ADDB, INSTEAD OF XXDB, TO CENTER FREQ AND CREATED THE CONFUSION. AT ANY RATE, WE CHKED IN ON FREQ USING OUR ADDB CALL SIGN, WERE ADDRESSED BY CENTER AS ADDB, AND RESPONDED AS ADDB. WE EVEN QUESTIONED AND ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION, AND RECEIVED IT AS ADDB. SUGGESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS: CENTER AND PROBABLY DEP CTL NEED TO PAY CLOSER ATTN TO FLT #'S. A CORRECT CLRNC GIVEN TO THE WRONG FLT IS ALMOST WORSE THAN NO CLRNC AT ALL. FLT CREWS MAYBE NEED TO BE A LITTLE QUICKER AND A LITTLE MORE FORCEFUL IN QUESTIONING THINGS WHEN THEY JUST DON'T SOUND RIGHT. THE FIRST PARTY AWARE OF PROX OF SIMILAR FLT #'S NEEDS TO BE SURE ALL INTERESTED PARTIES ARE EQUALLY AWARE OF THE FACT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.