Narrative:

We were on a scheduled flight to white plains, ny. The WX was deteriorating. White plains dropped below minimums and we were put into ah old at the nobbi intersection. This intersection is 9 mi out on the 356 degree right of cmk VOR. While in the hold, we contacted our company operations and were advised to divert to ewr with our passenger. At this time we advised N90 of our plans. We were then cleared, 'radar vectors direct huguenot VOR.' we were then told to descend to 6000' (we were currently at 8000'). The captain acknowledged the clearance with our complete call sign, dialed 6000' in our altitude alert and proceeded to leave the #1 communication to get an update on the ewr WX. I then began the descent from 8000 to 6000'. While passing through 7400' N90 advised us to expedite back up to 8000', that the descent clearance was not for us but for another flight with a similar call sign. Our flight/altitude mixup occurred in a busy sector on an evening with bad WX, which increased the workload of the controllers. We also use 800 series flight #'south, which are very common and often confused with other similar flight #'south. On several occasions we have been called the wrong call sign/flight #, or our clrncs are acknowledged by another air carrier with a similar call sign. This is a common error made by controllers as well as pilots. The fact that the controller this evening was overloaded with traffic prevented this mixup from being discovered and rectified prior to us reaching 7400'.this altitude incursion did not result in any near misses or injuries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION REGARDING CLRNC DUE TO SIMILAR A/N.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A SCHEDULED FLT TO WHITE PLAINS, NY. THE WX WAS DETERIORATING. WHITE PLAINS DROPPED BELOW MINIMUMS AND WE WERE PUT INTO AH OLD AT THE NOBBI INTXN. THIS INTXN IS 9 MI OUT ON THE 356 DEG R OF CMK VOR. WHILE IN THE HOLD, WE CONTACTED OUR COMPANY OPS AND WERE ADVISED TO DIVERT TO EWR WITH OUR PAX. AT THIS TIME WE ADVISED N90 OF OUR PLANS. WE WERE THEN CLRED, 'RADAR VECTORS DIRECT HUGUENOT VOR.' WE WERE THEN TOLD TO DSND TO 6000' (WE WERE CURRENTLY AT 8000'). THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC WITH OUR COMPLETE CALL SIGN, DIALED 6000' IN OUR ALT ALERT AND PROCEEDED TO LEAVE THE #1 COM TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE EWR WX. I THEN BEGAN THE DSNT FROM 8000 TO 6000'. WHILE PASSING THROUGH 7400' N90 ADVISED US TO EXPEDITE BACK UP TO 8000', THAT THE DSNT CLRNC WAS NOT FOR US BUT FOR ANOTHER FLT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN. OUR FLT/ALT MIXUP OCCURRED IN A BUSY SECTOR ON AN EVENING WITH BAD WX, WHICH INCREASED THE WORKLOAD OF THE CTLRS. WE ALSO USE 800 SERIES FLT #'S, WHICH ARE VERY COMMON AND OFTEN CONFUSED WITH OTHER SIMILAR FLT #'S. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WE HAVE BEEN CALLED THE WRONG CALL SIGN/FLT #, OR OUR CLRNCS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED BY ANOTHER ACR WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN. THIS IS A COMMON ERROR MADE BY CTLRS AS WELL AS PLTS. THE FACT THAT THE CTLR THIS EVENING WAS OVERLOADED WITH TFC PREVENTED THIS MIXUP FROM BEING DISCOVERED AND RECTIFIED PRIOR TO US REACHING 7400'.THIS ALT INCURSION DID NOT RESULT IN ANY NEAR MISSES OR INJURIES.

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.