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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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ARTCC radar controller issued descent clearance to wrong aircraft, then challenged flight crew that acknowledged clearance. PIC requested tape review. Upon landing, PIC called ZFW supervisor and learned controller had issued descent clearance to one aircraft thinking it was another with a similar sounding call sign.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 413666 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199809 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fzt |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4010 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 413666 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 413670 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We were at FL310 en route to dfw. The previous controller had advised us there was an air carrier with a similar sounding call sign also on frequency. With the next controller we were given a clearance to FL270. I read back air carrier XXXX down to FL270. There was no challenge made by the controller or from the other aircraft. Approaching FL290, the controller asked where we were going. I advised him we were descending to FL270. He then told us to level at FL290 and that the clearance was for a different aircraft. He then told air carrier YYYY to descend to FL270. Shortly thereafter the captain requested that the tape be saved. Upon reaching our final destination for the day, the captain contacted ZFW and was told by one of the supervisors that it had been controller error. I feel if there was some sort of call sign policing that kept similar call signs from arriving or departing busy airports within 1 hour of each other it would reduce a lot of these occurrences.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR ISSUED DSCNT CLRNC TO WRONG ACFT, THEN CHALLENGED FLC THAT ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC. PIC REQUESTED TAPE REVIEW. UPON LNDG, PIC CALLED ZFW SUPVR AND LEARNED CTLR HAD ISSUED DSCNT CLRNC TO ONE ACFT THINKING IT WAS ANOTHER WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN.
Narrative: WE WERE AT FL310 ENRTE TO DFW. THE PREVIOUS CTLR HAD ADVISED US THERE WAS AN ACR WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN ALSO ON FREQ. WITH THE NEXT CTLR WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO FL270. I READ BACK ACR XXXX DOWN TO FL270. THERE WAS NO CHALLENGE MADE BY THE CTLR OR FROM THE OTHER ACFT. APCHING FL290, THE CTLR ASKED WHERE WE WERE GOING. I ADVISED HIM WE WERE DSNDING TO FL270. HE THEN TOLD US TO LEVEL AT FL290 AND THAT THE CLRNC WAS FOR A DIFFERENT ACFT. HE THEN TOLD ACR YYYY TO DSND TO FL270. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CAPT REQUESTED THAT THE TAPE BE SAVED. UPON REACHING OUR FINAL DEST FOR THE DAY, THE CAPT CONTACTED ZFW AND WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE SUPVRS THAT IT HAD BEEN CTLR ERROR. I FEEL IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF CALL SIGN POLICING THAT KEPT SIMILAR CALL SIGNS FROM ARRIVING OR DEPARTING BUSY ARPTS WITHIN 1 HR OF EACH OTHER IT WOULD REDUCE A LOT OF THESE OCCURRENCES.
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.