Air carrier flight crew took a climb clearance for another aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	300402
Time
Date	199503
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid tower : cle
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	300402
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	300397
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Climbing through about 15000 ft MSL, the first officer discovered a problem with the autoplt turning to the left. While trouble- shooting the problem, we leveled at FL190 and the first officer hand flew the airplane. We also discovered the altitude alerter was not working properly. Captain asked the flight engineer to check the aural warning circuit breaker. The flight engineer found no circuit breakers popped. Meanwhile, we received an ATC handoff to the next sector. The captain made the check in at FL190 with center which was very busy. The controller acknowledged the chkin and gave a climb clearance to FL330. The captain acknowledged the clearance to FL330 and we began to climb. Later, the first officer said we were flight planned to only FL250. The captain then inquired with ATC about our assigned altitude. The controller stated that we had taken a clearance to FL330 that was intended for another aircraft. We were then instructed to stop our climb and level at FL220. There was no incident with other aircraft. A combination of factors including malfunction of cockpit equipment, congestion of the ATC frequency contributed to this occurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC TOOK A CLB CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 15000 FT MSL, THE FO DISCOVERED A PROB WITH THE AUTOPLT TURNING TO THE L. WHILE TROUBLE- SHOOTING THE PROB, WE LEVELED AT FL190 AND THE FO HAND FLEW THE AIRPLANE. WE ALSO DISCOVERED THE ALT ALERTER WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. CAPT ASKED THE FE TO CHK THE AURAL WARNING CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE FE FOUND NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED. MEANWHILE, WE RECEIVED AN ATC HDOF TO THE NEXT SECTOR. THE CAPT MADE THE CHK IN AT FL190 WITH CTR WHICH WAS VERY BUSY. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THE CHKIN AND GAVE A CLB CLRNC TO FL330. THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC TO FL330 AND WE BEGAN TO CLB. LATER, THE FO SAID WE WERE FLT PLANNED TO ONLY FL250. THE CAPT THEN INQUIRED WITH ATC ABOUT OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE CTLR STATED THAT WE HAD TAKEN A CLRNC TO FL330 THAT WAS INTENDED FOR ANOTHER ACFT. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO STOP OUR CLB AND LEVEL AT FL220. THERE WAS NO INCIDENT WITH OTHER ACFT. A COMBINATION OF FACTORS INCLUDING MALFUNCTION OF COCKPIT EQUIP, CONGESTION OF THE ATC FREQ CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE.

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.