Narrative:

Inbound to dfw on blue ridge arrival route, we were handed off to dfw approach control while descending to 9000 ft. Approach control told us (air carrier #1) to expect vectors for an ILS to runway 17L and to fly heading 245 degrees, descend to 5000 ft. Shortly thereafter, an air carrier #2 flight checked on the frequency and was told to expect an ILS to 17L and caution that air carrier #3 was on the frequency. Shortly thereafter, we were told to fly heading 250 degrees and to expect an ILS to runway 18R and change to another frequency. Upon check in, we were again told to expect ILS 18R and to descend to 3000 ft and slow to 180 KTS. This controller was having difficulty communicating with an air carrier #1 flight being vectored to an ILS 17L. The controller then said 'air carrier #1, cross yohan intersection at or above 3000 ft, cleared for ILS 17L approach.' we thought this was odd, so the captain tried to verify this by reading back the clearance. The controller failed to answer us, possibly due to a blocked transmission from another aircraft. Subsequent attempts by my captain to verify the clearance also went unanswered. Since I had heard cleared ILS 17L, I tuned in the localizer for 17L and noticing that we were past (to the west of) it, I turned back to approximately 150 degrees to establish an intercept heading for 17L. On 1 attempt to verify, the captain asked if air carrier #1 is cleared for ILS 17L and the response was 'affirmative,' (no call sign verbalized) so the captain asked again, 'who is cleared for ILS 17L' and no answer! After several anxious moments, and more attempts at verifying our assigned runway, another controller's voice came on (possibly a supervisor) and said, 'air carrier #1, turn right to 210 degrees and intercept the localizer for 18R.' I then turned to 210 degrees and tuned in the localizer frequency for 18R, but failed to arm the localizer capture mode of the autoplt, since by now I was getting a little rattled. As I watched the localizer course center and start to drift off the left without capturing, I manually turned to intercept it and then armed the capture mode. The new controller's voice then said, calmly, 'air carrier #1, fly heading 160 degrees, cross the marker at or above 2300 ft, cleared ILS 18R approach, maintain 170 KTS to the marker.' an uneventful ILS 18R approach and landing was then accomplished. I believe this incident was caused by the controller's failure to listen to our readback and the issuance of a clearance to us that was meant for another aircraft. In my 21 yrs of flying, I have never heard so much confusion on approach or waited so long for confirmation of an approach clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED APCH CLRNC DUE TO ATC CTLR CLRNC CONGESTION.

Narrative: INBOUND TO DFW ON BLUE RIDGE ARR RTE, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO DFW APCH CTL WHILE DSNDING TO 9000 FT. APCH CTL TOLD US (ACR #1) TO EXPECT VECTORS FOR AN ILS TO RWY 17L AND TO FLY HDG 245 DEGS, DSND TO 5000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AN ACR #2 FLT CHKED ON THE FREQ AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT AN ILS TO 17L AND CAUTION THAT ACR #3 WAS ON THE FREQ. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE WERE TOLD TO FLY HDG 250 DEGS AND TO EXPECT AN ILS TO RWY 18R AND CHANGE TO ANOTHER FREQ. UPON CHK IN, WE WERE AGAIN TOLD TO EXPECT ILS 18R AND TO DSND TO 3000 FT AND SLOW TO 180 KTS. THIS CTLR WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH AN ACR #1 FLT BEING VECTORED TO AN ILS 17L. THE CTLR THEN SAID 'ACR #1, CROSS YOHAN INTXN AT OR ABOVE 3000 FT, CLRED FOR ILS 17L APCH.' WE THOUGHT THIS WAS ODD, SO THE CAPT TRIED TO VERIFY THIS BY READING BACK THE CLRNC. THE CTLR FAILED TO ANSWER US, POSSIBLY DUE TO A BLOCKED XMISSION FROM ANOTHER ACFT. SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS BY MY CAPT TO VERIFY THE CLRNC ALSO WENT UNANSWERED. SINCE I HAD HEARD CLRED ILS 17L, I TUNED IN THE LOC FOR 17L AND NOTICING THAT WE WERE PAST (TO THE W OF) IT, I TURNED BACK TO APPROX 150 DEGS TO ESTABLISH AN INTERCEPT HDG FOR 17L. ON 1 ATTEMPT TO VERIFY, THE CAPT ASKED IF ACR #1 IS CLRED FOR ILS 17L AND THE RESPONSE WAS 'AFFIRMATIVE,' (NO CALL SIGN VERBALIZED) SO THE CAPT ASKED AGAIN, 'WHO IS CLRED FOR ILS 17L' AND NO ANSWER! AFTER SEVERAL ANXIOUS MOMENTS, AND MORE ATTEMPTS AT VERIFYING OUR ASSIGNED RWY, ANOTHER CTLR'S VOICE CAME ON (POSSIBLY A SUPVR) AND SAID, 'ACR #1, TURN R TO 210 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR 18R.' I THEN TURNED TO 210 DEGS AND TUNED IN THE LOC FREQ FOR 18R, BUT FAILED TO ARM THE LOC CAPTURE MODE OF THE AUTOPLT, SINCE BY NOW I WAS GETTING A LITTLE RATTLED. AS I WATCHED THE LOC COURSE CTR AND START TO DRIFT OFF THE L WITHOUT CAPTURING, I MANUALLY TURNED TO INTERCEPT IT AND THEN ARMED THE CAPTURE MODE. THE NEW CTLR'S VOICE THEN SAID, CALMLY, 'ACR #1, FLY HDG 160 DEGS, CROSS THE MARKER AT OR ABOVE 2300 FT, CLRED ILS 18R APCH, MAINTAIN 170 KTS TO THE MARKER.' AN UNEVENTFUL ILS 18R APCH AND LNDG WAS THEN ACCOMPLISHED. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE CTLR'S FAILURE TO LISTEN TO OUR READBACK AND THE ISSUANCE OF A CLRNC TO US THAT WAS MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACFT. IN MY 21 YRS OF FLYING, I HAVE NEVER HEARD SO MUCH CONFUSION ON APCH OR WAITED SO LONG FOR CONFIRMATION OF AN APCH CLRNC.

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.