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Flight crew of a saab, SF340, were descending in response to approach controller clearance when controller questioned about their altitude and instructed them to maintain an altitude above which they had just descended. Confusion was resolved when another aircraft with same flight number was now being handled by same controller.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 471930 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200005 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : mem.vor |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 9700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mem.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Saab-Scania Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : ns |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mem.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 77 flight time total : 1277 flight time type : 77 |
| ASRS Report | 471930 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : 4 aircraft equipment : tcas aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : radar |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
On initial descent into the memphis class B airspace, our clearance was to descend from 13000 ft to 8000 ft and cross a fix on the STAR at 8000 ft (call sign air carrier X). Another aircraft on the descent with call sign air carrier Y was told to cross the same fix at 10000 ft. As we descended through 10000 ft and got to 9700 ft, ATC queried us and we were told to maintain 10000 ft. Shortly after we were told to descend to 8000 ft and no further communication was initiated by ATC about it. It seems that the similarities in the call signs is where the confusion arose. Initially, neither aircraft was informed about the similarities in call signs of both our aircraft. After we contacted specifically about the other's call sign there were no problems, with ATC. We were both aware of the other aircraft's call sign prior to ATC's notification and understood our clearance. ATC did not inquire any further about our descent below 10000 ft so we assumed ATC had resolved the discrepancy.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A SAAB, SF340, WERE DSNDING IN RESPONSE TO APCH CTLR CLRNC WHEN CTLR QUESTIONED ABOUT THEIR ALT AND INSTRUCTED THEM TO MAINTAIN AN ALT ABOVE WHICH THEY HAD JUST DSNDED. CONFUSION WAS RESOLVED WHEN ANOTHER ACFT WITH SAME FLT NUMBER WAS NOW BEING HANDLED BY SAME CTLR.
Narrative: ON INITIAL DSCNT INTO THE MEMPHIS CLASS B AIRSPACE, OUR CLRNC WAS TO DSND FROM 13000 FT TO 8000 FT AND CROSS A FIX ON THE STAR AT 8000 FT (CALL SIGN ACR X). ANOTHER ACFT ON THE DSCNT WITH CALL SIGN ACR Y WAS TOLD TO CROSS THE SAME FIX AT 10000 FT. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 10000 FT AND GOT TO 9700 FT, ATC QUERIED US AND WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 10000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER WE WERE TOLD TO DSND TO 8000 FT AND NO FURTHER COM WAS INITIATED BY ATC ABOUT IT. IT SEEMS THAT THE SIMILARITIES IN THE CALL SIGNS IS WHERE THE CONFUSION AROSE. INITIALLY, NEITHER ACFT WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE SIMILARITIES IN CALL SIGNS OF BOTH OUR ACFT. AFTER WE CONTACTED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE OTHER'S CALL SIGN THERE WERE NO PROBS, WITH ATC. WE WERE BOTH AWARE OF THE OTHER ACFT'S CALL SIGN PRIOR TO ATC'S NOTIFICATION AND UNDERSTOOD OUR CLRNC. ATC DID NOT INQUIRE ANY FURTHER ABOUT OUR DSCNT BELOW 10000 FT SO WE ASSUMED ATC HAD RESOLVED THE DISCREPANCY.
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.