Narrative:

Heard what sounded like our call sign to descend from 9000 ft to 4000 ft and call the field in sight. Paused, then read back the clearance to approach. Approach's next transmission was, 'abcd cleared visual approach,' then, 'abce say altitude.' I said 'we called out of 9000 ft for 4000 ft to call the field in sight for the visual.' approach responded, 'that was for abcd, you maintain 7000 ft.' at that time, we maintained 7000 ft and finished the approach and landing with no further incident. At no time did a TA arise on our TCASII. I believe that we transmitted at the same time as abcd. There was no immediate response from ATC so all appeared normal until we were called back by approach. (At this time we were at 7000 ft instead of 9000 ft.) later during the approach, a vector and descent was given to us (abce) and answered by us and another aircraft. Approach immediately verified it was for abce only! On the base leg vector, approach called us 'abcd' and cleared us down to 4000 ft. We verified it was for abce and continued the approach and landing. I believe the problem was due to like flight numbers and similar sounding call signs. As well as failure of us or ATC to recognize there were 2 simultaneous readbacks of the clearance. This, I believe, can be remedied by deliberate, annunciated flight numbers and readbacks instead of hurried clrncs and readbacks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX LTT COPIED CLRNC MEANT FOR ACR WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN. THOUGHT CLRED DSND TO 4000 FT AND ADVISE FIELD IN SIGHT. CTLR CAUGHT THE ERROR AND CLRED TO THE FLT TO MAINTAIN 7000 FT.

Narrative: HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE OUR CALL SIGN TO DSND FROM 9000 FT TO 4000 FT AND CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT. PAUSED, THEN READ BACK THE CLRNC TO APCH. APCH'S NEXT XMISSION WAS, 'ABCD CLRED VISUAL APCH,' THEN, 'ABCE SAY ALT.' I SAID 'WE CALLED OUT OF 9000 FT FOR 4000 FT TO CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT FOR THE VISUAL.' APCH RESPONDED, 'THAT WAS FOR ABCD, YOU MAINTAIN 7000 FT.' AT THAT TIME, WE MAINTAINED 7000 FT AND FINISHED THE APCH AND LNDG WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. AT NO TIME DID A TA ARISE ON OUR TCASII. I BELIEVE THAT WE XMITTED AT THE SAME TIME AS ABCD. THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM ATC SO ALL APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL WE WERE CALLED BACK BY APCH. (AT THIS TIME WE WERE AT 7000 FT INSTEAD OF 9000 FT.) LATER DURING THE APCH, A VECTOR AND DSCNT WAS GIVEN TO US (ABCE) AND ANSWERED BY US AND ANOTHER ACFT. APCH IMMEDIATELY VERIFIED IT WAS FOR ABCE ONLY! ON THE BASE LEG VECTOR, APCH CALLED US 'ABCD' AND CLRED US DOWN TO 4000 FT. WE VERIFIED IT WAS FOR ABCE AND CONTINUED THE APCH AND LNDG. I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS DUE TO LIKE FLT NUMBERS AND SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS. AS WELL AS FAILURE OF US OR ATC TO RECOGNIZE THERE WERE 2 SIMULTANEOUS READBACKS OF THE CLRNC. THIS, I BELIEVE, CAN BE REMEDIED BY DELIBERATE, ANNUNCIATED FLT NUMBERS AND READBACKS INSTEAD OF HURRIED CLRNCS AND READBACKS.

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.