Narrative:

On the published arrival, crossing the buj VOR 230 degree/5 DME at 9000 ft, we contacted dfw approach X at 9000 ft with oscar. The immediate response (mingled with much other radio traffic) was heard by us as X right to heading 300 degrees, descend to 5000 ft. Due to frequency congestion we were unable to read back to confirm the unusual (for that position on the arrival) clearance. Faced with the choice of possibly doing the wrong thing by following an unconfirmed, unusual clearance or not following an unusual clearance issued to avoid traffic we turned right and descended. About 1 1/2 mins later when we were able to question ATC the controller said 'negative, for another aircraft) and directed us to turn left to heading 270 degrees and descend to 5000 ft. We stopped the right turn at about 285 degrees and turned to 270 degrees as we continued descent to 5000 ft. To our knowledge there was no traffic conflict or safety hazard. (TCASII was operating and gave no warnings, no visual traffic observed). Primary cause of this misunderstood clearance was frequency congestion and typically heavily-loaded up controller. A solution to the heavy frequency congestion around major airports and unloading the aircraft personnel might help prevent occurrences such as this. What ever happened to that possible modification to communication radios to prevent transmission if a carrier was already being received? At least most xmissions would get through instead of just some. Frequency blockage due to overlap is the major impediment to communications in both the terminal area and en route. Waiting for data link to solve the problem promises to leave us in a bind for quite some time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC, CONGESTED FREQ. ACFT INITIATED CLRNC MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: ON THE PUBLISHED ARR, XING THE BUJ VOR 230 DEG/5 DME AT 9000 FT, WE CONTACTED DFW APCH X AT 9000 FT WITH OSCAR. THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE (MINGLED WITH MUCH OTHER RADIO TFC) WAS HEARD BY US AS X R TO HDG 300 DEGS, DSND TO 5000 FT. DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION WE WERE UNABLE TO READ BACK TO CONFIRM THE UNUSUAL (FOR THAT POS ON THE ARR) CLRNC. FACED WITH THE CHOICE OF POSSIBLY DOING THE WRONG THING BY FOLLOWING AN UNCONFIRMED, UNUSUAL CLRNC OR NOT FOLLOWING AN UNUSUAL CLRNC ISSUED TO AVOID TFC WE TURNED R AND DSNDED. ABOUT 1 1/2 MINS LATER WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO QUESTION ATC THE CTLR SAID 'NEGATIVE, FOR ANOTHER ACFT) AND DIRECTED US TO TURN L TO HDG 270 DEGS AND DSND TO 5000 FT. WE STOPPED THE R TURN AT ABOUT 285 DEGS AND TURNED TO 270 DEGS AS WE CONTINUED DSCNT TO 5000 FT. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT OR SAFETY HAZARD. (TCASII WAS OPERATING AND GAVE NO WARNINGS, NO VISUAL TFC OBSERVED). PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC WAS FREQ CONGESTION AND TYPICALLY HEAVILY-LOADED UP CTLR. A SOLUTION TO THE HVY FREQ CONGESTION AROUND MAJOR ARPTS AND UNLOADING THE ACFT PERSONNEL MIGHT HELP PREVENT OCCURRENCES SUCH AS THIS. WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THAT POSSIBLE MODIFICATION TO COM RADIOS TO PREVENT XMISSION IF A CARRIER WAS ALREADY BEING RECEIVED? AT LEAST MOST XMISSIONS WOULD GET THROUGH INSTEAD OF JUST SOME. FREQ BLOCKAGE DUE TO OVERLAP IS THE MAJOR IMPEDIMENT TO COMS IN BOTH THE TERMINAL AREA AND ENRTE. WAITING FOR DATA LINK TO SOLVE THE PROB PROMISES TO LEAVE US IN A BIND FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

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.