Narrative:

We were cruising at FL180 en route to lfpg. Crew was preparing for approach to runway 9 at lfpg. Captain had commenced approach briefing when first officer heard a radio call from paris control. First officer did not hear call sign due to captain's approach briefing. Controller's instructions were for someone to descend to FL160 and maintain 280 KTS in descent. First officer read back instruction with our call sign. Controller acknowledged readback. Captain began descent to FL160. Passing FL160, paris control asked us why we had left FL180. First officer replied we had been cleared to FL160. Controller stated that clearance had been for another aircraft. We were told to maintain FL160. Recommend crews verify clearance is for them. Supplemental information from acn 468844: while all standard challenges and replies did take place in the cockpit between the flight crew members prior to descent, there may have been some breakdown in communication because the captain was conducting an approach briefing when the radio xmissions occurred initially between the first officer and center controller. Also, because the first officer read back a clearance to FL160 prior to descent (with no correction from center), we assumed the clearance had been for us (not another aircraft). The contributing factor in this event was a breakdown in communication between our aircraft and the center controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IN THE MIDDLE OF A BRIEFING B727 CREW TOOK A CLRNC WITHOUT HEARING THE CALL SIGN. FOREIGN CTLR ALSO DID NOT CATCH THE WRONG CALL SIGN IN THE READBACK AND ACCEPTED IT UNTIL HE DISCOVERED WRONG ACFT DSNDING.

Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT FL180 ENRTE TO LFPG. CREW WAS PREPARING FOR APCH TO RWY 9 AT LFPG. CAPT HAD COMMENCED APCH BRIEFING WHEN FO HEARD A RADIO CALL FROM PARIS CTL. FO DID NOT HEAR CALL SIGN DUE TO CAPT'S APCH BRIEFING. CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOR SOMEONE TO DSND TO FL160 AND MAINTAIN 280 KTS IN DSCNT. FO READ BACK INSTRUCTION WITH OUR CALL SIGN. CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED READBACK. CAPT BEGAN DSCNT TO FL160. PASSING FL160, PARIS CTL ASKED US WHY WE HAD LEFT FL180. FO REPLIED WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL160. CTLR STATED THAT CLRNC HAD BEEN FOR ANOTHER ACFT. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN FL160. RECOMMEND CREWS VERIFY CLRNC IS FOR THEM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 468844: WHILE ALL STANDARD CHALLENGES AND REPLIES DID TAKE PLACE IN THE COCKPIT BTWN THE FLC MEMBERS PRIOR TO DSCNT, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME BREAKDOWN IN COM BECAUSE THE CAPT WAS CONDUCTING AN APCH BRIEFING WHEN THE RADIO XMISSIONS OCCURRED INITIALLY BTWN THE FO AND CTR CTLR. ALSO, BECAUSE THE FO READ BACK A CLRNC TO FL160 PRIOR TO DSCNT (WITH NO CORRECTION FROM CTR), WE ASSUMED THE CLRNC HAD BEEN FOR US (NOT ANOTHER ACFT). THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS EVENT WAS A BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN OUR ACFT AND THE CTR CTLR.

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.