Narrative:

We were initially cleared to hold at the rome VOR as depicted on the rome arrival STAR. WX precluded staying on the depicted holding pattern, so we requested and were granted clearance to hold on the 270 degree right. After holding for 2-3 turns on this radial, we were vectored to fly a heading of 360 degrees. We complied with that vector, which took us out of the holding pattern. We were then told to fly 'direct rome, rome arrival.' we acknowledged this and flew to rome VOR and started the arrival. We were still at FL290 and approaching 40 mi from atl when we asked when we would be cleared to descend. The controller then told us we had not been cleared out of holding--that we had taken someone else's clearance. Every member of our crew heard that clearance from ATC to vector 360 degrees and then cleared to rome, rome arrival! We asked about the descent and were told to go back to holding, which we did. The captain called and talked to the supervisor, who said they were swamped and might have erred. No safety hazard was present, but it was disconcerting.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT HOLDING AT RMC VORTAC IS CLEARED TO BEGIN THE ROME ARR INTO ATL, ONLY TO LATER BE INFORMED THAT THEY HAD TAKEN SOME OTHER ACFT'S CLRNC. FLT CREW ATC REVIEW LATER REVEALED THAT THE FLT CREW WAS RIGHT, THEY HAD BEEN CLEARED.

Narrative: WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED TO HOLD AT THE ROME VOR AS DEPICTED ON THE ROME ARR STAR. WX PRECLUDED STAYING ON THE DEPICTED HOLDING PATTERN, SO WE REQUESTED AND WERE GRANTED CLRNC TO HOLD ON THE 270 DEG R. AFTER HOLDING FOR 2-3 TURNS ON THIS RADIAL, WE WERE VECTORED TO FLY A HDG OF 360 DEGS. WE COMPLIED WITH THAT VECTOR, WHICH TOOK US OUT OF THE HOLDING PATTERN. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO FLY 'DIRECT ROME, ROME ARR.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND FLEW TO ROME VOR AND STARTED THE ARR. WE WERE STILL AT FL290 AND APCHING 40 MI FROM ATL WHEN WE ASKED WHEN WE WOULD BE CLRED TO DSND. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED OUT OF HOLDING--THAT WE HAD TAKEN SOMEONE ELSE'S CLRNC. EVERY MEMBER OF OUR CREW HEARD THAT CLRNC FROM ATC TO VECTOR 360 DEGS AND THEN CLRED TO ROME, ROME ARR! WE ASKED ABOUT THE DSCNT AND WERE TOLD TO GO BACK TO HOLDING, WHICH WE DID. THE CAPT CALLED AND TALKED TO THE SUPVR, WHO SAID THEY WERE SWAMPED AND MIGHT HAVE ERRED. NO SAFETY HAZARD WAS PRESENT, BUT IT WAS DISCONCERTING.

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.