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Air carrier crew concerned regarding truncated call signs and resulting confusion when similar a/north on same frequency.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 163196 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199011 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dqo |
| State Reference | DE |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc tower : sju |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 163196 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
While communicating with washington center on 132.52, all we received of our call sign on numerous ATC xmissions was '...bcf.' the 'company' portion was never used/received, or if so, all we heard was '...xx bcf.' this is occurring more and more frequently with several ctrs (specifically mia center between san juan/ grand tork/ and miami, and with washington and new york ctrs). Today there was a company dcf on same frequencys from mia to washington center with similar call signs on the same airline and especially with the same numerical flight number but different airlines, it is essential that the entire call sign be used, transmitted, and received by air crews or wrong clearance will (and have been) acknowledged and initiated before the mistake is realized by either an air crew or ATC. The resulting ATC and air crew communications to sort this out results in far more use of 'air time' than the slow and deliberate use of the full call sign would have in the first place. My recent observations regarding this problem indicate that ATC is the far more frequent user of truncated or missing airline call signs.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR CREW CONCERNED REGARDING TRUNCATED CALL SIGNS AND RESULTING CONFUSION WHEN SIMILAR A/N ON SAME FREQ.
Narrative: WHILE COMMUNICATING WITH WASHINGTON CTR ON 132.52, ALL WE RECEIVED OF OUR CALL SIGN ON NUMEROUS ATC XMISSIONS WAS '...BCF.' THE 'COMPANY' PORTION WAS NEVER USED/RECEIVED, OR IF SO, ALL WE HEARD WAS '...XX BCF.' THIS IS OCCURRING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY WITH SEVERAL CTRS (SPECIFICALLY MIA CTR BTWN SAN JUAN/ GRAND TORK/ AND MIAMI, AND WITH WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK CTRS). TODAY THERE WAS A COMPANY DCF ON SAME FREQS FROM MIA TO WASHINGTON CTR WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS ON THE SAME AIRLINE AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE SAME NUMERICAL FLT NUMBER BUT DIFFERENT AIRLINES, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE ENTIRE CALL SIGN BE USED, XMITTED, AND RECEIVED BY AIR CREWS OR WRONG CLRNC WILL (AND HAVE BEEN) ACKNOWLEDGED AND INITIATED BEFORE THE MISTAKE IS REALIZED BY EITHER AN AIR CREW OR ATC. THE RESULTING ATC AND AIR CREW COMS TO SORT THIS OUT RESULTS IN FAR MORE USE OF 'AIR TIME' THAN THE SLOW AND DELIBERATE USE OF THE FULL CALL SIGN WOULD HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE. MY RECENT OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THIS PROB INDICATE THAT ATC IS THE FAR MORE FREQUENT USER OF TRUNCATED OR MISSING AIRLINE CALL SIGNS.
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.