Air carrier response to wrong call sign unauthorized frequency change.

Attributes
ACN	305010
Time
Date	199505
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lrp
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 4
ASRS Report	305010
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During a heavy arrival period at the sector, 2 same company commuter propellers, with similar call signs were on my frequency. At the time, I was working phl inbounds and bwi propeller inbounds. Both air carrier propellers were en route to bwi. Their call signs were XX51 and XX71. When XX51 was radar with bwi approach, I attempted to switch the aircraft to bwi approach. The aircraft read back the wrong frequency, with no call sign. I caught the mistake and corrected the frequency, using the correct call sign. Again, the aircraft read back the frequency without a call sign and switches. As it turns out, the approach controller at bwi missed the fact that he had the wrong air carrier and started vectoring him for his in-trail operation. This potentially dangerous situation could have been avoided had the company used non similar call signs or had the aircraft used their call signs when receiving instructions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR RESPONSE TO WRONG CALL SIGN UNAUTH FREQ CHANGE.

Narrative: DURING A HVY ARR PERIOD AT THE SECTOR, 2 SAME COMPANY COMMUTER PROPS, WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS WERE ON MY FREQ. AT THE TIME, I WAS WORKING PHL INBOUNDS AND BWI PROP INBOUNDS. BOTH ACR PROPS WERE ENRTE TO BWI. THEIR CALL SIGNS WERE XX51 AND XX71. WHEN XX51 WAS RADAR WITH BWI APCH, I ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH THE ACFT TO BWI APCH. THE ACFT READ BACK THE WRONG FREQ, WITH NO CALL SIGN. I CAUGHT THE MISTAKE AND CORRECTED THE FREQ, USING THE CORRECT CALL SIGN. AGAIN, THE ACFT READ BACK THE FREQ WITHOUT A CALL SIGN AND SWITCHES. AS IT TURNS OUT, THE APCH CTLR AT BWI MISSED THE FACT THAT HE HAD THE WRONG ACR AND STARTED VECTORING HIM FOR HIS IN-TRAIL OP. THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE COMPANY USED NON SIMILAR CALL SIGNS OR HAD THE ACFT USED THEIR CALL SIGNS WHEN RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS.

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.