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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Flight crew of an A320 airbus changed frequency and started climbing to a higher altitude in reply to a wrong similar call sign. Controller also did not realize that there were 2 similar call signs and first accepted the reporter's clearance readback as for them.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 381990 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199710 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mem |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 25100 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 225 |
| ASRS Report | 381990 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Deviation |
Narrative:
We were operating as air carrier X. Had climbed and leveled at FL240. We thought center had given us a climb clearance to FL290, followed by a change in center frequency. We checked on with new center frequency. Center replied, 'air carrier yx, roger climbing to FL290.' we then said, 'no, this is air carrier xy, climbing to FL290.' center replied, 'I don't know anything about an xy, I'm working an air carrier yx, return to your last frequency.' at this point, we realized that the previous climb clearance to FL290 and center frequency change were for yx, not us as xy. Prior to this, we did not realize an air carrier yx was out there. At this point we were climbing through FL251. We checked on once again with previous frequency and said that we were climbing to FL290, which they acknowledged. They did not seem concerned or in any way show apprehension over the situation. Bottom line: we were not paying close enough attention to flight numbers and mistook our call, xy, for yx, another flight on frequency. Center never gave us a heads up either to the similar call sign on frequency.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN A320 AIRBUS CHANGED FREQ AND STARTED CLBING TO A HIGHER ALT IN REPLY TO A WRONG SIMILAR CALL SIGN. CTLR ALSO DID NOT REALIZE THAT THERE WERE 2 SIMILAR CALL SIGNS AND FIRST ACCEPTED THE RPTR'S CLRNC READBACK AS FOR THEM.
Narrative: WE WERE OPERATING AS ACR X. HAD CLBED AND LEVELED AT FL240. WE THOUGHT CTR HAD GIVEN US A CLB CLRNC TO FL290, FOLLOWED BY A CHANGE IN CTR FREQ. WE CHKED ON WITH NEW CTR FREQ. CTR REPLIED, 'ACR YX, ROGER CLBING TO FL290.' WE THEN SAID, 'NO, THIS IS ACR XY, CLBING TO FL290.' CTR REPLIED, 'I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AN XY, I'M WORKING AN ACR YX, RETURN TO YOUR LAST FREQ.' AT THIS POINT, WE REALIZED THAT THE PREVIOUS CLB CLRNC TO FL290 AND CTR FREQ CHANGE WERE FOR YX, NOT US AS XY. PRIOR TO THIS, WE DID NOT REALIZE AN ACR YX WAS OUT THERE. AT THIS POINT WE WERE CLBING THROUGH FL251. WE CHKED ON ONCE AGAIN WITH PREVIOUS FREQ AND SAID THAT WE WERE CLBING TO FL290, WHICH THEY ACKNOWLEDGED. THEY DID NOT SEEM CONCERNED OR IN ANY WAY SHOW APPREHENSION OVER THE SIT. BOTTOM LINE: WE WERE NOT PAYING CLOSE ENOUGH ATTN TO FLT NUMBERS AND MISTOOK OUR CALL, XY, FOR YX, ANOTHER FLT ON FREQ. CTR NEVER GAVE US A HEADS UP EITHER TO THE SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON FREQ.
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.