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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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On STAR arrival flight crew received descent clearance and commenced descent. Controller intervened after 500 ft descent and told flight crew to maintain previous altitude. Flight crew rptrs say controller mixed up two aircraft call signs which were similar.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 387039 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199711 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : byp airport : dfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10500 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dfw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : dfw |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 387039 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| ASRS Report | 387040 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On the BYP2 arrival, approach issued us a descent clear to 7000 ft. We were 20 mi south of byp on the 219 degree radial. I asked the first officer if he agreed with me about the clearance. He said yes. So I started the descent since the frequency was so busy. At approximately 10500 ft approach inquired about our descent and told us to maintain 11000 ft. We complied and no apparent conflicts with separation occurred per TCASII. I should have challenged the controller since a similar flight abc was ahead of us on the arrival. I think the controller meant to issue the descent to abc, but transposed the flight number. No safety of flight items were violated. Flight landed normally at dfw.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ON STAR ARR FLC RECEIVED DSCNT CLRNC AND COMMENCED DSCNT. CTLR INTERVENED AFTER 500 FT DSCNT AND TOLD FLC TO MAINTAIN PREVIOUS ALT. FLC RPTRS SAY CTLR MIXED UP TWO ACFT CALL SIGNS WHICH WERE SIMILAR.
Narrative: ON THE BYP2 ARR, APCH ISSUED US A DSCNT CLR TO 7000 FT. WE WERE 20 MI S OF BYP ON THE 219 DEG RADIAL. I ASKED THE FO IF HE AGREED WITH ME ABOUT THE CLRNC. HE SAID YES. SO I STARTED THE DSCNT SINCE THE FREQ WAS SO BUSY. AT APPROX 10500 FT APCH INQUIRED ABOUT OUR DSCNT AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT. WE COMPLIED AND NO APPARENT CONFLICTS WITH SEPARATION OCCURRED PER TCASII. I SHOULD HAVE CHALLENGED THE CTLR SINCE A SIMILAR FLT ABC WAS AHEAD OF US ON THE ARR. I THINK THE CTLR MEANT TO ISSUE THE DSCNT TO ABC, BUT TRANSPOSED THE FLT NUMBER. NO SAFETY OF FLT ITEMS WERE VIOLATED. FLT LANDED NORMALLY AT DFW.
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.