Narrative:

Flying las-san segment of our scheduled day. Center has taken us off the baret arrival. We are on a 180 heading, 50 NM northeast of mzb VORTAC at 17,000. As we are planning to be 30-35 NM from mzb at 10,000 for an approach on runway 25 at lindbergh, I call center, 'air carrier X for lower.' immediately we receive, 'air carrier X cross 40 east of mzb at 10,000.' it looks like the current heading will take us to a point just about 40 NM of mzb but it could be a little tight as the first officer remarks. I repeat the clearance, 'air carrier X 40 east of mzb at 10,000, leaving 17,000.' passing through 14,600' at a rate of descent 4500 FPM, center calls, 'air carrier X say altitude.' I call back, 'air carrier X 14,500' for 10,000.' an angry controller comes back, 'air carrier X I never gave you that clearance. You were supposed to maintain 17,000 for traffic. 40 east at 10,000 was for air carrier Y.' we are certain we got the right call sign and I know I repeated the clearance with air carrier X for call sign. I say, 'air carrier X was given 40 east at 10,000', what do you want us to do now?' controller, 'maintain 12,000.' lots of traffic, everybody wants to talk at the same time!! We hear, 'air carrier Y, clear down to 17,000'', making us believe that air carrier Y was not even on the frequency earlier during the mix-up. We are extremely attentive at that point. At one point I set portion of a call, '...290, approach 124.35.' the call sign is missing from the transmission but I suspect the call was for us as we were rapidly approaching the localizer 27. I am waiting for a second call with the call sign and instructions. A very angry controller, 'air carrier X, you'd better listen up, turn right 290 degree. San approach 124.35.' I answer, 'air carrier X first call, sir, right 290 degree, approach 124.35.' by that time I'm fed up and frustrated with this guy and I want a number I can call him on to straighten him up. When we switched over to approach on his second call with us approach calls us air carrier Y!!! Later we learned we lost separation with 4 military fgt's. The tapes revealed the controller's mistake. There seems to be too many similar call signs in the same area. The next day around las we found ourselves with another carrier and both had same flight number. Later on in abq yet another carrier and ourselves with same number! Supplemental information from acn 135873: we then noticed the controller was a bit stressed and workload pretty high. We made a note to hear air carrier X, we were then 33 mi from san at 12,000' and needed lower. We were on a 180 degree heading. I noted that we were going to go through the localizer on 27 at san. We heard the controller give an aircraft a heading change an altitude but the call sign was blocked. We then asked who that clearance was for. The controller got very upset and told us the heading and frequency change and for us to listen up!! At air carrier X airlines we do take pride in our radio procedures and are one of the few carriers that say our carrier name and flight number! Always.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X PROBABLY HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM FLT OF MIL FGT'S. PROBABLE SYSTEM ERROR. SITUATION: SIMILAR A/N.

Narrative: FLYING LAS-SAN SEGMENT OF OUR SCHEDULED DAY. CENTER HAS TAKEN US OFF THE BARET ARR. WE ARE ON A 180 HDG, 50 NM NE OF MZB VORTAC AT 17,000. AS WE ARE PLANNING TO BE 30-35 NM FROM MZB AT 10,000 FOR AN APCH ON RWY 25 AT LINDBERGH, I CALL CENTER, 'ACR X FOR LOWER.' IMMEDIATELY WE RECEIVE, 'ACR X CROSS 40 E OF MZB AT 10,000.' IT LOOKS LIKE THE CURRENT HDG WILL TAKE US TO A POINT JUST ABOUT 40 NM OF MZB BUT IT COULD BE A LITTLE TIGHT AS THE F/O REMARKS. I REPEAT THE CLRNC, 'ACR X 40 E OF MZB AT 10,000, LEAVING 17,000.' PASSING THROUGH 14,600' AT A RATE OF DSCNT 4500 FPM, CENTER CALLS, 'ACR X SAY ALT.' I CALL BACK, 'ACR X 14,500' FOR 10,000.' AN ANGRY CTLR COMES BACK, 'ACR X I NEVER GAVE YOU THAT CLRNC. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN 17,000 FOR TFC. 40 E AT 10,000 WAS FOR ACR Y.' WE ARE CERTAIN WE GOT THE RIGHT CALL SIGN AND I KNOW I REPEATED THE CLRNC WITH ACR X FOR CALL SIGN. I SAY, 'ACR X WAS GIVEN 40 E AT 10,000', WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO NOW?' CTLR, 'MAINTAIN 12,000.' LOTS OF TFC, EVERYBODY WANTS TO TALK AT THE SAME TIME!! WE HEAR, 'ACR Y, CLEAR DOWN TO 17,000'', MAKING US BELIEVE THAT ACR Y WAS NOT EVEN ON THE FREQ EARLIER DURING THE MIX-UP. WE ARE EXTREMELY ATTENTIVE AT THAT POINT. AT ONE POINT I SET PORTION OF A CALL, '...290, APCH 124.35.' THE CALL SIGN IS MISSING FROM THE XMISSION BUT I SUSPECT THE CALL WAS FOR US AS WE WERE RAPIDLY APCHING THE LOC 27. I AM WAITING FOR A SECOND CALL WITH THE CALL SIGN AND INSTRUCTIONS. A VERY ANGRY CTLR, 'ACR X, YOU'D BETTER LISTEN UP, TURN RIGHT 290 DEG. SAN APCH 124.35.' I ANSWER, 'ACR X FIRST CALL, SIR, RIGHT 290 DEG, APCH 124.35.' BY THAT TIME I'M FED UP AND FRUSTRATED WITH THIS GUY AND I WANT A NUMBER I CAN CALL HIM ON TO STRAIGHTEN HIM UP. WHEN WE SWITCHED OVER TO APCH ON HIS SECOND CALL WITH US APCH CALLS US ACR Y!!! LATER WE LEARNED WE LOST SEPARATION WITH 4 MIL FGT'S. THE TAPES REVEALED THE CTLR'S MISTAKE. THERE SEEMS TO BE TOO MANY SIMILAR CALL SIGNS IN THE SAME AREA. THE NEXT DAY AROUND LAS WE FOUND OURSELVES WITH ANOTHER CARRIER AND BOTH HAD SAME FLT NUMBER. LATER ON IN ABQ YET ANOTHER CARRIER AND OURSELVES WITH SAME NUMBER! SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 135873: WE THEN NOTICED THE CTLR WAS A BIT STRESSED AND WORKLOAD PRETTY HIGH. WE MADE A NOTE TO HEAR ACR X, WE WERE THEN 33 MI FROM SAN AT 12,000' AND NEEDED LOWER. WE WERE ON A 180 DEG HDG. I NOTED THAT WE WERE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE LOC ON 27 AT SAN. WE HEARD THE CTLR GIVE AN ACFT A HDG CHANGE AN ALT BUT THE CALL SIGN WAS BLOCKED. WE THEN ASKED WHO THAT CLRNC WAS FOR. THE CTLR GOT VERY UPSET AND TOLD US THE HDG AND FREQ CHANGE AND FOR US TO LISTEN UP!! AT ACR X AIRLINES WE DO TAKE PRIDE IN OUR RADIO PROCS AND ARE ONE OF THE FEW CARRIERS THAT SAY OUR CARRIER NAME AND FLT NUMBER! ALWAYS.

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.