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Air carrier captain acknowledged and executed a climb clearance for a similar sounding company call sign, resulting in ATC and crew confusion. Company should evaluate similar call signs and rtes to eliminate these occurrences.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 340646 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : gmn airport : lax |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 21000 msl bound upper : 24300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla artcc : zoa |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-83 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 340646 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1650 |
| ASRS Report | 340771 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
On jul/xx/96 at XX13 we departed lax for sea as air carrier 111. Clearance to sea was via gorman 1 departure, shafter (ehf) transition, J5 as filed. Numerous restr to altitudes were received during departure from departure control and socal with a final altitude restr of 15000 ft from socal on 125.8. In the vicinity of ehf socal (125.8) handed us off to ZLA on 128.37. We checked in as air carrier 111 and were advised of traffic at 3 O'clock wbound and received numerous altitude restrs from 15000 ft to FL220. Prior to FL220 ZLA (128.37) advised 'air carrier 111' to contact ZOA on 132.8. Checking in with ZOA 'air carrier 111 with you out of FL215 for FL220' and were advised 'maintain FL310,' which was read back as 'air carrier 111 climb and maintain FL310.' shortly after (approximately 5-10 seconds) 'air carrier 211 is level FL310' was said on frequency (132.8) with no response from the controller. I questioned 'confirm air carrier 111 is cleared climb and maintain FL310.' ZOA's reply was 'negative, you are not to be on this frequency. You took air carrier 211 handoff, return to your prior frequency.' our altitude was FL243 which we maintained. Returning to ZLA on 128.37 we advised that apparently we mistook air carrier 211 handoff and were mistakenly assigned a higher altitude and we are level at FL243 and what altitude shall we maintain? ZLA center advised us to return to ZOA on 132.8. Returning to 132.8 we were advised to maintain FL310. Additional information: 1) air carrier 211 departed san diego for sea about 20 mins prior to our lax departure which put air carrier 211 and air carrier 111 in common center sectors and frequencys. 2) as we followed air carrier 211 from lax to sea, we were usually 3-5 mins behind on handoff and never advised of common call signs or when we came on common ATC frequencys with similar call signs. I believe 1) ZLA 128.37 confused our call sign and cleared air carrier 111 to ZOA 132.8. 2) we checked in on oak 132.8 with a full call sign as 'air carrier 111' out of 21500 ft for FL220. Even if we mistook air carrier 211 handoff, when checking in with ZOA as air carrier 111 at a lower altitude 21500 climbing to an altitude below FL310 (FL220) with air carrier 211 already level at FL310 too many things were not right to give us any new clearance until confirming who is who.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED AND EXECUTED A CLB CLRNC FOR A SIMILAR SOUNDING COMPANY CALL SIGN, RESULTING IN ATC AND CREW CONFUSION. COMPANY SHOULD EVALUATE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS AND RTES TO ELIMINATE THESE OCCURRENCES.
Narrative: ON JUL/XX/96 AT XX13 WE DEPARTED LAX FOR SEA AS ACR 111. CLRNC TO SEA WAS VIA GORMAN 1 DEP, SHAFTER (EHF) TRANSITION, J5 AS FILED. NUMEROUS RESTR TO ALTS WERE RECEIVED DURING DEP FROM DEP CTL AND SOCAL WITH A FINAL ALT RESTR OF 15000 FT FROM SOCAL ON 125.8. IN THE VICINITY OF EHF SOCAL (125.8) HANDED US OFF TO ZLA ON 128.37. WE CHKED IN AS ACR 111 AND WERE ADVISED OF TFC AT 3 O'CLOCK WBOUND AND RECEIVED NUMEROUS ALT RESTRS FROM 15000 FT TO FL220. PRIOR TO FL220 ZLA (128.37) ADVISED 'ACR 111' TO CONTACT ZOA ON 132.8. CHKING IN WITH ZOA 'ACR 111 WITH YOU OUT OF FL215 FOR FL220' AND WERE ADVISED 'MAINTAIN FL310,' WHICH WAS READ BACK AS 'ACR 111 CLB AND MAINTAIN FL310.' SHORTLY AFTER (APPROX 5-10 SECONDS) 'ACR 211 IS LEVEL FL310' WAS SAID ON FREQ (132.8) WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR. I QUESTIONED 'CONFIRM ACR 111 IS CLRED CLB AND MAINTAIN FL310.' ZOA'S REPLY WAS 'NEGATIVE, YOU ARE NOT TO BE ON THIS FREQ. YOU TOOK ACR 211 HDOF, RETURN TO YOUR PRIOR FREQ.' OUR ALT WAS FL243 WHICH WE MAINTAINED. RETURNING TO ZLA ON 128.37 WE ADVISED THAT APPARENTLY WE MISTOOK ACR 211 HDOF AND WERE MISTAKENLY ASSIGNED A HIGHER ALT AND WE ARE LEVEL AT FL243 AND WHAT ALT SHALL WE MAINTAIN? ZLA CTR ADVISED US TO RETURN TO ZOA ON 132.8. RETURNING TO 132.8 WE WERE ADVISED TO MAINTAIN FL310. ADDITIONAL INFO: 1) ACR 211 DEPARTED SAN DIEGO FOR SEA ABOUT 20 MINS PRIOR TO OUR LAX DEP WHICH PUT ACR 211 AND ACR 111 IN COMMON CTR SECTORS AND FREQS. 2) AS WE FOLLOWED ACR 211 FROM LAX TO SEA, WE WERE USUALLY 3-5 MINS BEHIND ON HDOF AND NEVER ADVISED OF COMMON CALL SIGNS OR WHEN WE CAME ON COMMON ATC FREQS WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. I BELIEVE 1) ZLA 128.37 CONFUSED OUR CALL SIGN AND CLRED ACR 111 TO ZOA 132.8. 2) WE CHKED IN ON OAK 132.8 WITH A FULL CALL SIGN AS 'ACR 111' OUT OF 21500 FT FOR FL220. EVEN IF WE MISTOOK ACR 211 HDOF, WHEN CHKING IN WITH ZOA AS ACR 111 AT A LOWER ALT 21500 CLBING TO AN ALT BELOW FL310 (FL220) WITH ACR 211 ALREADY LEVEL AT FL310 TOO MANY THINGS WERE NOT RIGHT TO GIVE US ANY NEW CLRNC UNTIL CONFIRMING WHO IS WHO.
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.