Foreign controller misreads flight call sign and issues descent to wrong aircraft in mhtg airspace.

Attributes
ACN	407410
Time
Date	199807
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sal
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 29000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mhtg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	407410
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
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
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While under the control of cenamer en route to sal, we were given a frequency change to aurora control. On contact with aurora, we asked to descend. Aurora asked us to confirm our call sign of air carrier xyx vice air carrier xzx. We told him we were air carrier xyx and they then cleared us to descend to FL190. We started down and then aurora talked to another aircraft. Aurora then told us to expect runway 1. We told him that sal did not have a runway 1 and asked if he meant runway 7. He asked us to confirm our destination and we said it was CAT at sal. He then told us to stop descent and return to cenamer. We stopped at FL260 as requested by aurora. Cenamer wanted to know why we changed frequency, and I explained why we changed frequency and altitude. Cenamer said it was no problem, and we continued to sal. The event scared me because of what might have happened and again reinforced the need to listen up to call signs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOREIGN CTLR MISREADS FLT CALL SIGN AND ISSUES DSCNT TO WRONG ACFT IN MHTG AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WHILE UNDER THE CTL OF CENAMER ENRTE TO SAL, WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO AURORA CTL. ON CONTACT WITH AURORA, WE ASKED TO DSND. AURORA ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR CALL SIGN OF ACR XYX VICE ACR XZX. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE ACR XYX AND THEY THEN CLRED US TO DSND TO FL190. WE STARTED DOWN AND THEN AURORA TALKED TO ANOTHER ACFT. AURORA THEN TOLD US TO EXPECT RWY 1. WE TOLD HIM THAT SAL DID NOT HAVE A RWY 1 AND ASKED IF HE MEANT RWY 7. HE ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR DEST AND WE SAID IT WAS CAT AT SAL. HE THEN TOLD US TO STOP DSCNT AND RETURN TO CENAMER. WE STOPPED AT FL260 AS REQUESTED BY AURORA. CENAMER WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE CHANGED FREQ, AND I EXPLAINED WHY WE CHANGED FREQ AND ALT. CENAMER SAID IT WAS NO PROB, AND WE CONTINUED TO SAL. THE EVENT SCARED ME BECAUSE OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED AND AGAIN REINFORCED THE NEED TO LISTEN UP TO CALL SIGNS.

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.