Narrative:

During climb out from jfk, heading 220 degrees, controller cleared us to 11000 ft. I read back '...climbing to one, one -- eleven thousand.' controller then cleared 'air carrier X turn right 090 degrees.' I read back 'air carrier X right turn 090 degrees.' the captain repeated 'right turn 090 degrees' to me. During the turn, ATC asked our heading and I replied 320 degrees. We were instructed to level off and turn left to 180 degrees. ATC then asked why we turned and said that we were entering another controller's airspace. We replied we had been cleared 'right 090 degrees' and had read it back. ATC said it had been for a navajo, not us. I never heard the navajo read back nor the controller tell us that it was for another aircraft. The captain, the flight engineer, and I all agree the clearance was for us and it was 'right to 090 degrees.' this is a long turn, but due to ewr, lga and jfk proximity it was not out of the realm of possibilities to avoid arrival/departure corridors. We had no doubt in the aircraft among the 3 crew members what our clearance was and ATC did not correct the readback, so I did not reconfirm. ATC did notice us going where he did not want us and corrected the situation before any conflicts occurred (to our knowledge). Should it be procedure to query any turn greater than 180 degrees? This would have worked here, but we only turned 100 degrees before entering the next sector. Also, in congested airspace/frequencys, this is not always practical nor safe to query every instruction. Supplemental information from acn 413490: after departing jfk runway 22, departure controller on 135.9 gave us the following instructions: 'air carrier X, turn right heading 090 degrees, climb to 11000 ft.' we read back the clearance at approximately 2000 ft and turned right and was climbing through approximately 3500 ft. We emphasized that we heard and read back the instructions as well as turned in excess of 90 degrees before being questioned by the controller. After discussing it with the crew and the controller, we determined that he had given us the instructions intended for a navajo under his control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEPARTING B727 WAS MISTAKENLY ISSUED A HDG AND ALT THAT WAS MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACFT. THE CTLR NOTICED THE WRONG TURN AND ISSUED A CORRECTED HDG, HOWEVER, THE ACFT PENETRATED THE ADJACENT POS AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT FROM JFK, HDG 220 DEGS, CTLR CLRED US TO 11000 FT. I READ BACK '...CLBING TO ONE, ONE -- ELEVEN THOUSAND.' CTLR THEN CLRED 'ACR X TURN R 090 DEGS.' I READ BACK 'ACR X R TURN 090 DEGS.' THE CAPT REPEATED 'R TURN 090 DEGS' TO ME. DURING THE TURN, ATC ASKED OUR HDG AND I REPLIED 320 DEGS. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO LEVEL OFF AND TURN L TO 180 DEGS. ATC THEN ASKED WHY WE TURNED AND SAID THAT WE WERE ENTERING ANOTHER CTLR'S AIRSPACE. WE REPLIED WE HAD BEEN CLRED 'R 090 DEGS' AND HAD READ IT BACK. ATC SAID IT HAD BEEN FOR A NAVAJO, NOT US. I NEVER HEARD THE NAVAJO READ BACK NOR THE CTLR TELL US THAT IT WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT. THE CAPT, THE FE, AND I ALL AGREE THE CLRNC WAS FOR US AND IT WAS 'R TO 090 DEGS.' THIS IS A LONG TURN, BUT DUE TO EWR, LGA AND JFK PROX IT WAS NOT OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITIES TO AVOID ARR/DEP CORRIDORS. WE HAD NO DOUBT IN THE ACFT AMONG THE 3 CREW MEMBERS WHAT OUR CLRNC WAS AND ATC DID NOT CORRECT THE READBACK, SO I DID NOT RECONFIRM. ATC DID NOTICE US GOING WHERE HE DID NOT WANT US AND CORRECTED THE SIT BEFORE ANY CONFLICTS OCCURRED (TO OUR KNOWLEDGE). SHOULD IT BE PROC TO QUERY ANY TURN GREATER THAN 180 DEGS? THIS WOULD HAVE WORKED HERE, BUT WE ONLY TURNED 100 DEGS BEFORE ENTERING THE NEXT SECTOR. ALSO, IN CONGESTED AIRSPACE/FREQS, THIS IS NOT ALWAYS PRACTICAL NOR SAFE TO QUERY EVERY INSTRUCTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 413490: AFTER DEPARTING JFK RWY 22, DEP CTLR ON 135.9 GAVE US THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS: 'ACR X, TURN R HDG 090 DEGS, CLB TO 11000 FT.' WE READ BACK THE CLRNC AT APPROX 2000 FT AND TURNED R AND WAS CLBING THROUGH APPROX 3500 FT. WE EMPHASIZED THAT WE HEARD AND READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS AS WELL AS TURNED IN EXCESS OF 90 DEGS BEFORE BEING QUESTIONED BY THE CTLR. AFTER DISCUSSING IT WITH THE CREW AND THE CTLR, WE DETERMINED THAT HE HAD GIVEN US THE INSTRUCTIONS INTENDED FOR A NAVAJO UNDER HIS CTL.

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.