<< >> NASA ASRS Report 155781, September 1990

Reporter indicates a growing tendency for ARTCC controllers to omit the airline identifier in communicating with flts.

Attributes
ACN	155781
Time
Date	199009
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fnt
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 34800 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zob
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 85
ASRS Report	155781
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

After departing yyz en route to ord, just as we leveled off at FL350, we took a clearance to FL310. Our readback was not acknowledged and after descending 200', I asked the first officer to reconfirm. 3 calls later we got a reply that it wasn't for us, but since we had left FL350 (200') we were cleared to FL330. As we listened, we heard an X airline X67 and we were Y airline Y67 and noticed the controller was leaving off the company prefix and we were apparently hearing X7 as Y67. Since the beginning of sept, I have noticed an increase of no prefix and no confirmations of readbacks, especially from high altitude centers we get used to this as it becomes commonplace. We had another on this very flight of the center controller calling repeatedly for Y YB6. We answered and asked for confirmation. He at first said, 'affirmative,' but changed to Y Y37. Enough said!

Related reports:

• A first officer describes the extreme workload of a two man ...
• ARTCC radar controllers frequency began to deteriorate while...
• Multiple ZMP center controllers reported a small aircraft de...
• Regional jet captain reported that controllers throughout th...
• A lax ATC ground controller reported the conflict which deve...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER INDICATES A GROWING TENDENCY FOR ARTCC CTLRS TO OMIT THE AIRLINE IDENTIFIER IN COMMUNICATING WITH FLTS.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING YYZ ENRTE TO ORD, JUST AS WE LEVELED OFF AT FL350, WE TOOK A CLRNC TO FL310. OUR READBACK WAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED AND AFTER DSNDING 200', I ASKED THE F/O TO RECONFIRM. 3 CALLS LATER WE GOT A REPLY THAT IT WASN'T FOR US, BUT SINCE WE HAD LEFT FL350 (200') WE WERE CLRED TO FL330. AS WE LISTENED, WE HEARD AN X AIRLINE X67 AND WE WERE Y AIRLINE Y67 AND NOTICED THE CTLR WAS LEAVING OFF THE COMPANY PREFIX AND WE WERE APPARENTLY HEARING X7 AS Y67. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF SEPT, I HAVE NOTICED AN INCREASE OF NO PREFIX AND NO CONFIRMATIONS OF READBACKS, ESPECIALLY FROM HIGH ALT CENTERS WE GET USED TO THIS AS IT BECOMES COMMONPLACE. WE HAD ANOTHER ON THIS VERY FLT OF THE CENTER CTLR CALLING REPEATEDLY FOR Y YB6. WE ANSWERED AND ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION. HE AT FIRST SAID, 'AFFIRMATIVE,' BUT CHANGED TO Y Y37. ENOUGH SAID!

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.