Narrative:

Call sign air carrier X (there was also air carrier Y in pattern). He must have been on base by outside of ebeno intersection because controller inadvertently used our call sign and told us to turn to a 240 degree heading to intercept and descend from 6000 ft to 4000 ft. (This must have been for air carrier X.) we began descent and started turn and started querying controller about heading. It got confusing because it was busy and air carrier Y started wondering who the headings were for as well. Controller started to get excited because now we were in a descending turn towards ILS final traffic! Fortunately I was VFR and I could see this was not right. I immediately did a 45 degree bank turn to the left and rolled out on our downwind heading of 090 degrees and climbed back up to 6000 ft. ( We couldn't get a word in edgewise while we did this.) the controller was confused and started telling air carrier X to fly 180 degree heading (he was talking to air carrier Y on base). We finally got a word in and told them what we were doing and he told us to climb to 6000 ft and maintain 080 degree heading. We continued vectors until final and landed uneventfully. When on ground I called up approach control and talked to supervisor. He acknowledged that controller may have used wrong call sign, but had not listened to the tapes. I told him no problem, I would file a NASA report and leave it at that. Fortunately, it was VFR and my gut instinct was to turn back to where I thought we should be -- on downwind at 6000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B737-300 STARTED DSCNT AND HDG CHANGE PER APCH CTLR CLRNC. THEN SUBSEQUENTLY NOTICED THAT THE CLRNC WAS FOR ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT AND STOPPED DSNDING AND ROLLED OUT ON DOWNWIND.

Narrative: CALL SIGN ACR X (THERE WAS ALSO ACR Y IN PATTERN). HE MUST HAVE BEEN ON BASE BY OUTSIDE OF EBENO INTXN BECAUSE CTLR INADVERTENTLY USED OUR CALL SIGN AND TOLD US TO TURN TO A 240 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT AND DSND FROM 6000 FT TO 4000 FT. (THIS MUST HAVE BEEN FOR ACR X.) WE BEGAN DSCNT AND STARTED TURN AND STARTED QUERYING CTLR ABOUT HDG. IT GOT CONFUSING BECAUSE IT WAS BUSY AND ACR Y STARTED WONDERING WHO THE HDGS WERE FOR AS WELL. CTLR STARTED TO GET EXCITED BECAUSE NOW WE WERE IN A DSNDING TURN TOWARDS ILS FINAL TFC! FORTUNATELY I WAS VFR AND I COULD SEE THIS WAS NOT RIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY DID A 45 DEG BANK TURN TO THE L AND ROLLED OUT ON OUR DOWNWIND HDG OF 090 DEGS AND CLBED BACK UP TO 6000 FT. ( WE COULDN'T GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE WHILE WE DID THIS.) THE CTLR WAS CONFUSED AND STARTED TELLING ACR X TO FLY 180 DEG HDG (HE WAS TALKING TO ACR Y ON BASE). WE FINALLY GOT A WORD IN AND TOLD THEM WHAT WE WERE DOING AND HE TOLD US TO CLB TO 6000 FT AND MAINTAIN 080 DEG HDG. WE CONTINUED VECTORS UNTIL FINAL AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. WHEN ON GND I CALLED UP APCH CTL AND TALKED TO SUPVR. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT CTLR MAY HAVE USED WRONG CALL SIGN, BUT HAD NOT LISTENED TO THE TAPES. I TOLD HIM NO PROB, I WOULD FILE A NASA RPT AND LEAVE IT AT THAT. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS VFR AND MY GUT INSTINCT WAS TO TURN BACK TO WHERE I THOUGHT WE SHOULD BE -- ON DOWNWIND AT 6000 FT.

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.