Departure controller issued a clearance to the reporting aircraft that was for another aircraft of t...

Attributes
ACN	225169
Time
Date	199210
Day	Thu
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	225169
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

We were told to contact clt departure at approximately 1000-2000 ft AGL. When I switched, I called 'air carrier climbing to 8000.' the controller responded with our flight number and the clearance to turn right 210 degrees, intercept the great transition, climb to 12000. The captain and I verified the new altitude in the window, turned to 210 degrees and set up the intercept in the FMC. The controller, after several more seconds of delay, came back on and said 'that last clearance was for air carrier Y' (or close, I don't remember the exact number). I looked out my window and saw us converging with a same company medium large transport that was below and slightly behind us. I called departure and asked, 'do you still want air carrier on a 180 degree heading?' he answered affirmative and nothing else. I then changed the altitude back to 8000 ft. The controller had called the wrong flight number to climb, turn and intercept. It put us on a converging path with an aircraft off 18R at clt. He never corrected our clearance until we asked about it, after seeing a possible conflict. We were ahead of and out-climbing the company medium large transport so no collision was imminent, but it was within a 1/2 mi boundary. Both the captain and I verified the clearance. We are sure the controller made the error in flight number usage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEP CTLR ISSUED A CLRNC TO THE RPTING ACFT THAT WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT OF THE SAME COMPANY. LTSS WAS THE RESULT.

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT CLT DEP AT APPROX 1000-2000 FT AGL. WHEN I SWITCHED, I CALLED 'ACR CLBING TO 8000.' THE CTLR RESPONDED WITH OUR FLT NUMBER AND THE CLRNC TO TURN R 210 DEGS, INTERCEPT THE GREAT TRANSITION, CLB TO 12000. THE CAPT AND I VERIFIED THE NEW ALT IN THE WINDOW, TURNED TO 210 DEGS AND SET UP THE INTERCEPT IN THE FMC. THE CTLR, AFTER SEVERAL MORE SECONDS OF DELAY, CAME BACK ON AND SAID 'THAT LAST CLRNC WAS FOR ACR Y' (OR CLOSE, I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER). I LOOKED OUT MY WINDOW AND SAW US CONVERGING WITH A SAME COMPANY MLG THAT WAS BELOW AND SLIGHTLY BEHIND US. I CALLED DEP AND ASKED, 'DO YOU STILL WANT ACR ON A 180 DEG HDG?' HE ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE AND NOTHING ELSE. I THEN CHANGED THE ALT BACK TO 8000 FT. THE CTLR HAD CALLED THE WRONG FLT NUMBER TO CLB, TURN AND INTERCEPT. IT PUT US ON A CONVERGING PATH WITH AN ACFT OFF 18R AT CLT. HE NEVER CORRECTED OUR CLRNC UNTIL WE ASKED ABOUT IT, AFTER SEEING A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. WE WERE AHEAD OF AND OUT-CLBING THE COMPANY MLG SO NO COLLISION WAS IMMINENT, BUT IT WAS WITHIN A 1/2 MI BOUNDARY. BOTH THE CAPT AND I VERIFIED THE CLRNC. WE ARE SURE THE CTLR MADE THE ERROR IN FLT NUMBER USAGE.

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.

Departure controller issued a clearance to the reporting aircraft that was for another aircraft of the same company. Less than standard separation was the result.