Narrative:

Air carrier X departing cle to gso. ATC had cleared us direct akron VOR. Center, about 2 mins later, cleared us to hold a 100 degree heading. About 5 mins later, center asked us our heading. We told them 100 degrees just as they assigned us. We were then informed that they had not given us that heading, that the clearance had been for somebody else. We were thoroughly chastised and given a clearance to air VOR then center corrected himself and said 'no, cleared to hvq.' a few mins later he cleared us to pit approach and when we questioned that clearance, again we were chastised for not listening again. He said the clearance had been for somebody else. If the tapes were to be pulled I'm positive they would show that he did issue the clearance to us even though he meant them for someone else. Also, we acknowledged them and on the first one, was never corrected until we were asked our heading 5 mins later. Other clrncs later were given, altitude changes, that were equally confusing and required our asking for clarification to preclude any more mistakes. What was happening here was center was handling multiple frequencys and was simply saturated to the point that he did not know who he was giving clrncs to. At the last he was loosing track of things to the point that a traffic conflict of some kind must have erupted because he gave us instructions to make an immediate left turn of 30 degrees. Our TCASII never activated but apparently a potential conflict of some kind was imminent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIMILAR A/N CALL SIGNS ACR X RESPONDED TO WRONG CALL SIGN FLEW WRONG RADAR VECTOR HDG.

Narrative: ACR X DEPARTING CLE TO GSO. ATC HAD CLRED US DIRECT AKRON VOR. CTR, ABOUT 2 MINS LATER, CLRED US TO HOLD A 100 DEG HDG. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER, CTR ASKED US OUR HDG. WE TOLD THEM 100 DEGS JUST AS THEY ASSIGNED US. WE WERE THEN INFORMED THAT THEY HAD NOT GIVEN US THAT HDG, THAT THE CLRNC HAD BEEN FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. WE WERE THOROUGHLY CHASTISED AND GIVEN A CLRNC TO AIR VOR THEN CTR CORRECTED HIMSELF AND SAID 'NO, CLRED TO HVQ.' A FEW MINS LATER HE CLRED US TO PIT APCH AND WHEN WE QUESTIONED THAT CLRNC, AGAIN WE WERE CHASTISED FOR NOT LISTENING AGAIN. HE SAID THE CLRNC HAD BEEN FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. IF THE TAPES WERE TO BE PULLED I'M POSITIVE THEY WOULD SHOW THAT HE DID ISSUE THE CLRNC TO US EVEN THOUGH HE MEANT THEM FOR SOMEONE ELSE. ALSO, WE ACKNOWLEDGED THEM AND ON THE FIRST ONE, WAS NEVER CORRECTED UNTIL WE WERE ASKED OUR HDG 5 MINS LATER. OTHER CLRNCS LATER WERE GIVEN, ALT CHANGES, THAT WERE EQUALLY CONFUSING AND REQUIRED OUR ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION TO PRECLUDE ANY MORE MISTAKES. WHAT WAS HAPPENING HERE WAS CTR WAS HANDLING MULTIPLE FREQS AND WAS SIMPLY SATURATED TO THE POINT THAT HE DID NOT KNOW WHO HE WAS GIVING CLRNCS TO. AT THE LAST HE WAS LOOSING TRACK OF THINGS TO THE POINT THAT A TFC CONFLICT OF SOME KIND MUST HAVE ERUPTED BECAUSE HE GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN OF 30 DEGS. OUR TCASII NEVER ACTIVATED BUT APPARENTLY A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF SOME KIND WAS IMMINENT.

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.