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Flight crew of first medium large transport in traffic pattern descended per clearance, but controller had transponder flight indentifiers with second medium large transport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 170451 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199102 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : aus |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4200 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : aus |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 170451 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Deviation |
Narrative:
In VMC at 6000' MSL, left downwind runway 31L at aus. Talking to approach control, we advised him airport in sight. He said we would follow medium large transport. Then medium large transport said they didn't have the airport. Approach controller then asked us, 'did you say you had the airport?' I said 'yes, we have the airport.' (note: communication at this time was clear, unrushed, controller not busy.) then aus approach said to us, 'you are cleared for the visibility runway 31L.' I acknowledged. We started to slow with flaps and landing gear in order to get down. We were still at 6000' MSL midfield down. In the descent approximately 4200' MSL aus approach asked, 'is that you at 4200'?' we replied 'yes, descending on the visibility runway 31L.' he (approach) said 'negative, you are not cleared for the visibility approach. Maintain 4000.' we leveled at 4000' and followed medium large transport to the airport. The captain talked to approach control (phone). They said there was call sign mixup and not to worry about the altitude problem. I don't recall medium large transport's call sign, but it did not seem to be a confusion factor for us (call sign). Something didn't happen with our strip when we were cleared the visibility to indicate a visibility 31L clearance. There is no doubt in my mind that we received the visibility clearance this time. I know sometimes there is (doubt), with lots of chatter and such.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF FIRST MLG IN TRAFFIC PATTERN DESCENDED PER CLRNC, BUT CTLR HAD TRANSPONDER FLT INDENTIFIERS WITH SECOND MLG.
Narrative: IN VMC AT 6000' MSL, LEFT DOWNWIND RWY 31L AT AUS. TALKING TO APCH CTL, WE ADVISED HIM ARPT IN SIGHT. HE SAID WE WOULD FOLLOW MLG. THEN MLG SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE ARPT. APCH CTLR THEN ASKED US, 'DID YOU SAY YOU HAD THE ARPT?' I SAID 'YES, WE HAVE THE ARPT.' (NOTE: COM AT THIS TIME WAS CLR, UNRUSHED, CTLR NOT BUSY.) THEN AUS APCH SAID TO US, 'YOU ARE CLRED FOR THE VIS RWY 31L.' I ACKNOWLEDGED. WE STARTED TO SLOW WITH FLAPS AND LNDG GEAR IN ORDER TO GET DOWN. WE WERE STILL AT 6000' MSL MIDFIELD DOWN. IN THE DSNT APPROX 4200' MSL AUS APCH ASKED, 'IS THAT YOU AT 4200'?' WE REPLIED 'YES, DSNDING ON THE VIS RWY 31L.' HE (APCH) SAID 'NEGATIVE, YOU ARE NOT CLRED FOR THE VIS APCH. MAINTAIN 4000.' WE LEVELED AT 4000' AND FOLLOWED MLG TO THE ARPT. THE CAPT TALKED TO APCH CTL (PHONE). THEY SAID THERE WAS CALL SIGN MIXUP AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE ALT PROB. I DON'T RECALL MLG'S CALL SIGN, BUT IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE A CONFUSION FACTOR FOR US (CALL SIGN). SOMETHING DIDN'T HAPPEN WITH OUR STRIP WHEN WE WERE CLRED THE VIS TO INDICATE A VIS 31L CLRNC. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT WE RECEIVED THE VIS CLRNC THIS TIME. I KNOW SOMETIMES THERE IS (DOUBT), WITH LOTS OF CHATTER AND SUCH.
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.