 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Same company, similar call signs with only 1 digit different in each. Reporter answered call sign for another aircraft for descent clearance and ATC didn't catch the different call sign until they noted the wrong aircraft descending and intervened.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 354027 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199611 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sdz |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 15000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : roc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zdc |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 354027 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We were air carrier XX74 level at 15000 ft. Center called, said to descend to 11000 ft. Read back clearance. At 14000 ft center asked us to stop at 14000 ft. He said clearance was for air carrier XX34. We had read back clearance and did not receive a correction from center. There is a dangerous situation with multiple similar call signs with our company. At the time of deviation XX74, XX34, XX24 were on same frequency. The pilot group and ZDC have asked to get call signs changed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SAME COMPANY, SIMILAR CALL SIGNS WITH ONLY 1 DIGIT DIFFERENT IN EACH. RPTR ANSWERED CALL SIGN FOR ANOTHER ACFT FOR DSCNT CLRNC AND ATC DIDN'T CATCH THE DIFFERENT CALL SIGN UNTIL THEY NOTED THE WRONG ACFT DSNDING AND INTERVENED.
Narrative: WE WERE ACR XX74 LEVEL AT 15000 FT. CTR CALLED, SAID TO DSND TO 11000 FT. READ BACK CLRNC. AT 14000 FT CTR ASKED US TO STOP AT 14000 FT. HE SAID CLRNC WAS FOR ACR XX34. WE HAD READ BACK CLRNC AND DID NOT RECEIVE A CORRECTION FROM CTR. THERE IS A DANGEROUS SIT WITH MULTIPLE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS WITH OUR COMPANY. AT THE TIME OF DEV XX74, XX34, XX24 WERE ON SAME FREQ. THE PLT GROUP AND ZDC HAVE ASKED TO GET CALL SIGNS CHANGED.
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.