Flight crew of air carrier medium large transport aircraft inadvertently responded to ATC instructio...

Attributes
ACN	240996
Time
Date	199305
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gck
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc tower : lga
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 3100
ASRS Report	240996
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	241330
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

While cruising at FL350, J-18, about 60 mi east of gck VOR, ZKC says come left 5 degrees and proceed direct lvs VOR when able. Almost as soon as we turn to the new heading, center says come right 10 degrees for traffic, which we do. After about a min on this heading, center says descend and maintain FL310, expedite through FL330, which we do, although no traffic is observed on TCASII. After commencing the descent, center advises that he is not picking up our altitude readout and to call him out of FL330 which we do. We told him we were level FL310 and he thanked us for the descent after which he gave us a heading for lamar VOR. We advised him that was not on our route of flight, and then he asked us where we were going. We responded that we were en route to tucson to which he replied that we complied with another carrier's descent instructions with the same flight number. I later told him we had never heard him call the other carrier's call sign. He responded explaining that the other carrier had not checked in on his frequency yet. This completely confused me but I guessed that he had forgotten that fact or had assumed he had checked on. Anyway, all of our xmissions were made using our company name and flight number. The controller was leaving off the company name and since we were talking so frequently with him, we did not verify the company he was calling and he was not picking up our company name in our xmissions. We both should have made more certain of our call signs. Supplemental information from acn 241330: the controller said the other carrier had not checked on the frequency and that when acknowledged his clrncs for the turn and descent, he thought it was the other carrier responding. This controller should have advised us of the similar call sign coming onto the frequency, and should have paid extra attention to using the proper carrier name.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT INADVERTENTLY RESPONDED TO ATC INSTRUCTIONS TO ANOTHER ACFT WITH THE SAME CALL SIGN BUT DIFFERENT COMPANY NAME SINCE CTLR DID NOT USE THE OTHER COMPANY NAME IN HIS XMISSIONS OR ACKNOWLEDGE THE COMPANY NAME USED BY THE RPTING ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT FL350, J-18, ABOUT 60 MI E OF GCK VOR, ZKC SAYS COME L 5 DEGS AND PROCEED DIRECT LVS VOR WHEN ABLE. ALMOST AS SOON AS WE TURN TO THE NEW HDG, CTR SAYS COME R 10 DEGS FOR TFC, WHICH WE DO. AFTER ABOUT A MIN ON THIS HDG, CTR SAYS DSND AND MAINTAIN FL310, EXPEDITE THROUGH FL330, WHICH WE DO, ALTHOUGH NO TFC IS OBSERVED ON TCASII. AFTER COMMENCING THE DSCNT, CTR ADVISES THAT HE IS NOT PICKING UP OUR ALT READOUT AND TO CALL HIM OUT OF FL330 WHICH WE DO. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE LEVEL FL310 AND HE THANKED US FOR THE DSCNT AFTER WHICH HE GAVE US A HDG FOR LAMAR VOR. WE ADVISED HIM THAT WAS NOT ON OUR RTE OF FLT, AND THEN HE ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING. WE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE ENRTE TO TUCSON TO WHICH HE REPLIED THAT WE COMPLIED WITH ANOTHER CARRIER'S DSCNT INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE SAME FLT NUMBER. I LATER TOLD HIM WE HAD NEVER HEARD HIM CALL THE OTHER CARRIER'S CALL SIGN. HE RESPONDED EXPLAINING THAT THE OTHER CARRIER HAD NOT CHKED IN ON HIS FREQ YET. THIS COMPLETELY CONFUSED ME BUT I GUESSED THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN THAT FACT OR HAD ASSUMED HE HAD CHKED ON. ANYWAY, ALL OF OUR XMISSIONS WERE MADE USING OUR COMPANY NAME AND FLT NUMBER. THE CTLR WAS LEAVING OFF THE COMPANY NAME AND SINCE WE WERE TALKING SO FREQUENTLY WITH HIM, WE DID NOT VERIFY THE COMPANY HE WAS CALLING AND HE WAS NOT PICKING UP OUR COMPANY NAME IN OUR XMISSIONS. WE BOTH SHOULD HAVE MADE MORE CERTAIN OF OUR CALL SIGNS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 241330: THE CTLR SAID THE OTHER CARRIER HAD NOT CHKED ON THE FREQ AND THAT WHEN ACKNOWLEDGED HIS CLRNCS FOR THE TURN AND DSCNT, HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE OTHER CARRIER RESPONDING. THIS CTLR SHOULD HAVE ADVISED US OF THE SIMILAR CALL SIGN COMING ONTO THE FREQ, AND SHOULD HAVE PAID EXTRA ATTN TO USING THE PROPER CARRIER NAME.

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.