Widebody transport aircraft given clearance intended for similar a/north company aircraft. TCASII.

Attributes
ACN	292600
Time
Date	199501
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aml
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : iad
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	292600
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departing iad while being vectored to buffr intersection center issued a TA and then a climb from 7000 ft to 10000 ft. The captain had the traffic in sight. Since the aircraft was relatively light we had a higher than usual climb rate which resulted in a TCASII advisory to reduce climb. After passing well clear of the other aircraft, the controller asked if we were at 7000 ft. We advised that we had read back a clearance to 10000 ft. It seems likely that the controller had mistaken us for another company aircraft with a similar call sign. The controller then cleared the aircraft with the similar call sign to 10000 ft and cleared us on up to 17000 ft. The flight was completed uneventfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ACFT GIVEN CLRNC INTENDED FOR SIMILAR A/N COMPANY ACFT. TCASII.

Narrative: DEPARTING IAD WHILE BEING VECTORED TO BUFFR INTXN CTR ISSUED A TA AND THEN A CLB FROM 7000 FT TO 10000 FT. THE CAPT HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. SINCE THE ACFT WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT WE HAD A HIGHER THAN USUAL CLB RATE WHICH RESULTED IN A TCASII ADVISORY TO REDUCE CLB. AFTER PASSING WELL CLR OF THE OTHER ACFT, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE AT 7000 FT. WE ADVISED THAT WE HAD READ BACK A CLRNC TO 10000 FT. IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE CTLR HAD MISTAKEN US FOR ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN. THE CTLR THEN CLRED THE ACFT WITH THE SIMILAR CALL SIGN TO 10000 FT AND CLRED US ON UP TO 17000 FT. THE FLT WAS COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY.

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.