A flight crew flew a heading intended for another aircraft on approach to mem.

Attributes
ACN	443707
Time
Date	199907
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	443707
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were then cleared for a visual approach to runway 18L. Shortly after initiating a descending left turn, we were instructed by ATC to turn right to 030 degrees. We immediately executed a right turn to 030 degrees, during which the controller again called alerting us to traffic at 11 O'clock position and reiterating the turn to 030 degrees, stating the previous call was for another aircraft. There seemed to be a great deal of saturation on the previous approach frequency. There was another aircraft with a very similar flight number on the same frequency for the same runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC FLEW A HEADING INTENDED FOR ANOTHER ACFT ON APCH TO MEM.

Narrative: WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18L. SHORTLY AFTER INITIATING A DSNDING L TURN, WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO TURN R TO 030 DEGS. WE IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A R TURN TO 030 DEGS, DURING WHICH THE CTLR AGAIN CALLED ALERTING US TO TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK POS AND REITERATING THE TURN TO 030 DEGS, STATING THE PREVIOUS CALL WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT. THERE SEEMED TO BE A GREAT DEAL OF SATURATION ON THE PREVIOUS APCH FREQ. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT WITH A VERY SIMILAR FLT NUMBER ON THE SAME FREQ FOR THE SAME RWY.

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.