Narrative:

As a captain flying out of iad airport for the past 7 months after 4 yrs of flying out of ord, I am greatly concerned and disappointed in the unsatisfactory level of competence demonstrated by washington approach and departure control. Inadequate controller staffing, a poorly devised east coast plan, and just plain lack of controller experience -- but the situation presents imminent dangers. The controling by approach control of my flight into iad last saturday was the lowest level of competence, that I have experienced in my 24 yrs with airline X and the WX was good! Our flight number was xyz. Xyy heavy was also on the frequency. Xyy heavy answered for one of our clrncs and the readback was accepted by the controller. We were given, answered, and flew a heading of 090. Several mins later we were given a heading back to our original 150 heading with the comment that, 'xyz you must have taken xyy heavy's vector to 090.' everyone is new sometime and inexperience is to be expected by new people. I understand this. I don't know everything about my own job. The problem is that if it is inexperience that created all these controling errors, it demonstrates that people who are not at a level of competence adequate to the requirements are trying to perform over their heads. This is too critical a business for this to be acceptable. Either training has to improve the level of ability before a controller is let go on the system or the traffic volume has to be decreased and separation increased to provide the level of safety we and the traveling public deserve.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIMILAR FLT ID. CTLR GAVE CLRNC TO WRONG FLT. FLT ACCEPTED CLRNC MEANT FOR ANOTHER SIMILAR ID.

Narrative: AS A CAPT FLYING OUT OF IAD ARPT FOR THE PAST 7 MONTHS AFTER 4 YRS OF FLYING OUT OF ORD, I AM GREATLY CONCERNED AND DISAPPOINTED IN THE UNSATISFACTORY LEVEL OF COMPETENCE DEMONSTRATED BY WASHINGTON APCH AND DEP CTL. INADEQUATE CTLR STAFFING, A POORLY DEVISED EAST COAST PLAN, AND JUST PLAIN LACK OF CTLR EXPERIENCE -- BUT THE SITUATION PRESENTS IMMINENT DANGERS. THE CTLING BY APCH CTL OF MY FLT INTO IAD LAST SATURDAY WAS THE LOWEST LEVEL OF COMPETENCE, THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN MY 24 YRS WITH AIRLINE X AND THE WX WAS GOOD! OUR FLT NUMBER WAS XYZ. XYY HEAVY WAS ALSO ON THE FREQ. XYY HEAVY ANSWERED FOR ONE OF OUR CLRNCS AND THE READBACK WAS ACCEPTED BY THE CTLR. WE WERE GIVEN, ANSWERED, AND FLEW A HDG OF 090. SEVERAL MINS LATER WE WERE GIVEN A HDG BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL 150 HDG WITH THE COMMENT THAT, 'XYZ YOU MUST HAVE TAKEN XYY HEAVY'S VECTOR TO 090.' EVERYONE IS NEW SOMETIME AND INEXPERIENCE IS TO BE EXPECTED BY NEW PEOPLE. I UNDERSTAND THIS. I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT MY OWN JOB. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IF IT IS INEXPERIENCE THAT CREATED ALL THESE CTLING ERRORS, IT DEMONSTRATES THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AT A LEVEL OF COMPETENCE ADEQUATE TO THE REQUIREMENTS ARE TRYING TO PERFORM OVER THEIR HEADS. THIS IS TOO CRITICAL A BUSINESS FOR THIS TO BE ACCEPTABLE. EITHER TRAINING HAS TO IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF ABILITY BEFORE A CTLR IS LET GO ON THE SYSTEM OR THE TFC VOLUME HAS TO BE DECREASED AND SEPARATION INCREASED TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SAFETY WE AND THE TRAVELING PUBLIC DESERVE.

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.