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ARTCC radar controller transposed aircraft call signs and cleared wrong aircraft to climb. Less than standard separation occurred due to mixup.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 252831 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199309 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : cys |
| State Reference | WY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 27000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zdv |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise 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 : 180 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 252831 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8100 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 252645 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 1500 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Shortly after being cleared to our divert airport (cheyenne) a traffic conflict occurred. We were cleared to turn right to 055 degree heading and climb to FL270. Our call sign was air carrier X abc (immediately behind us was air carrier Y bac). After acknowledging and commencing turn and climb to FL270, I went over to talk to my company dispatch while my copilot communicated with ATC and was flying the airplane. During the climb/turn the controller realized he had transposed the call sign numbers in his mind and did not mean for us to climb. Approaching FL270 he called for us to turn and descend immediately to FL260. As we approached FL260 we got an RA on our TCASII to climb. Mix up and confusion as to 'who' was being given 'what' clearance, resulted in a traffic/altitude conflict. Proceeded with no further incident. Phone contact on the ground with ATC supervisor at ZDV revealed that our clearance to climb was given mistakenly by the controller. This is all another example of how important it is to maintain constant vigilance, especially when 'close sounding or transposable call signs are on the same frequency, when communicating.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR TRANSPOSED ACFT CALL SIGNS AND CLRED WRONG ACFT TO CLB. LTSS OCCURRED DUE TO MIXUP.
Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER BEING CLRED TO OUR DIVERT ARPT (CHEYENNE) A TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED. WE WERE CLRED TO TURN R TO 055 DEG HDG AND CLB TO FL270. OUR CALL SIGN WAS ACR X ABC (IMMEDIATELY BEHIND US WAS ACR Y BAC). AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING AND COMMENCING TURN AND CLB TO FL270, I WENT OVER TO TALK TO MY COMPANY DISPATCH WHILE MY COPLT COMMUNICATED WITH ATC AND WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE. DURING THE CLB/TURN THE CTLR REALIZED HE HAD TRANSPOSED THE CALL SIGN NUMBERS IN HIS MIND AND DID NOT MEAN FOR US TO CLB. APCHING FL270 HE CALLED FOR US TO TURN AND DSND IMMEDIATELY TO FL260. AS WE APCHED FL260 WE GOT AN RA ON OUR TCASII TO CLB. MIX UP AND CONFUSION AS TO 'WHO' WAS BEING GIVEN 'WHAT' CLRNC, RESULTED IN A TFC/ALT CONFLICT. PROCEEDED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. PHONE CONTACT ON THE GND WITH ATC SUPVR AT ZDV REVEALED THAT OUR CLRNC TO CLB WAS GIVEN MISTAKENLY BY THE CTLR. THIS IS ALL ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT VIGILANCE, ESPECIALLY WHEN 'CLOSE SOUNDING OR TRANSPOSABLE CALL SIGNS ARE ON THE SAME FREQ, WHEN COMMUNICATING.
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.