Air carrier captain reported a track deviation on the PHILBO3 arrival to ewr as the result of ATC co...

Attributes
ACN	1705094
Time
Date	201911
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	EWR.Airport
State Reference	NJ
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	STAR PHILBO3
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Check Pilot Pilot Not Flying Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Narrative:

While approaching ewr on the PHILBO3 from the south at 6;000 at the metropolitan intersection; ny controller gave us an instruction to fly present heading. I responded to that call as it was our call sign. My first officer was pilot flying and followed the instructions as he heard it too.about two minutes later; the controller asked what procedure we were flying and what our routing was. I informed him of the present heading that he gave us. He said something to the effect that he meant another flight. We were following aircraft Y. Our call sign was aircraft X. He then gave us several other vectors and handed us off to another frequency. Nothing else was said about this confusion of aircraft; as it was on the controller and not us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air carrier Captain reported a track deviation on the PHILBO3 arrival to EWR as the result of ATC Controller confusing similar call signs and issuing clearance to the wrong aircraft.

Narrative: While approaching EWR on the PHILBO3 from the south at 6;000 at the METRO Intersection; NY Controller gave us an instruction to FLY PRESENT HEADING. I responded to that call as it was our call sign. My First Officer was Pilot Flying and followed the instructions as he heard it too.About two minutes later; the Controller asked what procedure we were flying and what our routing was. I informed him of the PRESENT HEADING that he gave us. He said something to the effect that he meant another flight. We were following Aircraft Y. Our call sign was Aircraft X. He then gave us several other vectors and handed us off to another frequency. Nothing else was said about this confusion of aircraft; as it was on the controller and not us.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

Air carrier captain reported a track deviation on the PHILBO3 arrival to ewr as the result of ATC controller confusing similar call signs and issuing clearance to the wrong aircraft.