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Flight crew of an MD80 responded to the wrong similar sounding call sign of a company aircraft causing a TCASII warning and the flight crew actually sighting a B757 as they stopped climbing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 423517 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199812 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : phx |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 27000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zab |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3900 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 423517 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 1800 vertical : 1300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On climb out from phx while at an intermediate leveloff at FL260, ZAB transmitted clearance to climb to FL280 and switch to ZLC frequency. Clearance was read back, climb initiated, and frequency switched. The new frequency was in use. As we approached FL265 we visually noticed crossing B757 traffic level at FL280. We slowed ascent, received a TA and leveled at FL270. At this point the new frequency was clear and we were able to check in with slc. We were told to switch back to abq, that the last abq clearance we received was meant for another aircraft. As it turned out, the original clearance given by abq contained background noise and was meant for a company aircraft with a similar call sign. No RA was given, required separation not compromised. Contributing factors: radio xmissions with background noise/garbled. Similar aircraft call signs. Frequencys clobbered with xmissions -- delaying aircraft check-in.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN MD80 RESPONDED TO THE WRONG SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN OF A COMPANY ACFT CAUSING A TCASII WARNING AND THE FLC ACTUALLY SIGHTING A B757 AS THEY STOPPED CLBING.
Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM PHX WHILE AT AN INTERMEDIATE LEVELOFF AT FL260, ZAB XMITTED CLRNC TO CLB TO FL280 AND SWITCH TO ZLC FREQ. CLRNC WAS READ BACK, CLB INITIATED, AND FREQ SWITCHED. THE NEW FREQ WAS IN USE. AS WE APCHED FL265 WE VISUALLY NOTICED XING B757 TFC LEVEL AT FL280. WE SLOWED ASCENT, RECEIVED A TA AND LEVELED AT FL270. AT THIS POINT THE NEW FREQ WAS CLR AND WE WERE ABLE TO CHK IN WITH SLC. WE WERE TOLD TO SWITCH BACK TO ABQ, THAT THE LAST ABQ CLRNC WE RECEIVED WAS MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACFT. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE ORIGINAL CLRNC GIVEN BY ABQ CONTAINED BACKGROUND NOISE AND WAS MEANT FOR A COMPANY ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN. NO RA WAS GIVEN, REQUIRED SEPARATION NOT COMPROMISED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: RADIO XMISSIONS WITH BACKGROUND NOISE/GARBLED. SIMILAR ACFT CALL SIGNS. FREQS CLOBBERED WITH XMISSIONS -- DELAYING ACFT CHK-IN.
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.