 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A B737-200 flight crew leaves their last assigned altitude for a newly assigned altitude as per ATC instructions. Controller then asks for their altitude in climb and reassigns the old altitude to them. Crew cites a mixup in flight numbers from ATC.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 398530 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : vhp |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 30000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct enroute airway : zkc |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 398530 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 398445 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure 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 | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were cruising at FL290, proceeding direct to brickyard (vhp). We requested direct to shelbyville. ZKC asked what our airspeed was to which we replied 280 KIAS. Center came back with instructions to climb to FL330, maintain 270 KIAS until FL310 then normal airspeed. We read back the clearance, using our call sign air carrier abxy, and began the climb. At approximately FL300 center asked what our altitude was and then told us to immediately descend back to FL290. We did this and continued on to cvg. The cause of this deviation appears to be confusion over call signs. During the whole exchange between center and ourselves described above we consistently used our correct call sign, air carrier abxy. Center was also calling us by air carrier abxy except 1 time when they called us abxz. We hadn't heard any other aircraft on frequency with a similar call sign, so we assumed he meant air carrier abxy. No other aircraft responded to the climb instructions. After the event, the controller called an air carrier baxz and gave him the clearance to FL330 that he had previously given us. It appears that when he called us air carrier abxz he meant to say air carrier baxz. Supplemental information from acn 398445: the clearance was read back a second time to confirm the altitude and airspeed using our proper flight number and was affirmed a second time using our proper flight number.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-200 FLC LEAVES THEIR LAST ASSIGNED ALT FOR A NEWLY ASSIGNED ALT AS PER ATC INSTRUCTIONS. CTLR THEN ASKS FOR THEIR ALT IN CLB AND REASSIGNS THE OLD ALT TO THEM. CREW CITES A MIXUP IN FLT NUMBERS FROM ATC.
Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT FL290, PROCEEDING DIRECT TO BRICKYARD (VHP). WE REQUESTED DIRECT TO SHELBYVILLE. ZKC ASKED WHAT OUR AIRSPD WAS TO WHICH WE REPLIED 280 KIAS. CTR CAME BACK WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB TO FL330, MAINTAIN 270 KIAS UNTIL FL310 THEN NORMAL AIRSPD. WE READ BACK THE CLRNC, USING OUR CALL SIGN ACR ABXY, AND BEGAN THE CLB. AT APPROX FL300 CTR ASKED WHAT OUR ALT WAS AND THEN TOLD US TO IMMEDIATELY DSND BACK TO FL290. WE DID THIS AND CONTINUED ON TO CVG. THE CAUSE OF THIS DEV APPEARS TO BE CONFUSION OVER CALL SIGNS. DURING THE WHOLE EXCHANGE BTWN CTR AND OURSELVES DESCRIBED ABOVE WE CONSISTENTLY USED OUR CORRECT CALL SIGN, ACR ABXY. CTR WAS ALSO CALLING US BY ACR ABXY EXCEPT 1 TIME WHEN THEY CALLED US ABXZ. WE HADN'T HEARD ANY OTHER ACFT ON FREQ WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN, SO WE ASSUMED HE MEANT ACR ABXY. NO OTHER ACFT RESPONDED TO THE CLB INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER THE EVENT, THE CTLR CALLED AN ACR BAXZ AND GAVE HIM THE CLRNC TO FL330 THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY GIVEN US. IT APPEARS THAT WHEN HE CALLED US ACR ABXZ HE MEANT TO SAY ACR BAXZ. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 398445: THE CLRNC WAS READ BACK A SECOND TIME TO CONFIRM THE ALT AND AIRSPD USING OUR PROPER FLT NUMBER AND WAS AFFIRMED A SECOND TIME USING OUR PROPER FLT NUMBER.
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.