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An air carrier captain questions a descent clearance suspecting they have taken a clearance for a similar call sign.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 506220 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200103 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : bos.vortac |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6700 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767-300 and 300 ER |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 3200 |
| ASRS Report | 506220 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Captain flying 7000 ft MSL. Bos approach issued a clearance to 2000 ft MSL. First officer answered. I started descent at aprox 6700 ft MSL. Box approach issued and approach clearance to air carrier X abcd (our flight # was aefc). I immediately stopped descent and started a climb back to 7000 ft MSL, asked first officer to confirm our altitude clearance. I was not sure, but the flight # difference was too close and I just had a hunch that we might have taken an altitude clearance meant for the other aircraft. Bos approach confirmed that our altitude clearance was 7000 ft MSL, but immediately cleared us to 3000 ft MSL. TCASII indicated that no aircraft was above or below ours. Reasons: 1) similar sounding call signs. 2) 13 hour duty day. 3) bos approach controller not catching our readback to descend to 2000 ft MSL, due to controller work load (traffic saturation). 4) captain not questioning original descent clearance after really only hearing the first 2 digits of the call sign.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR CAPT QUESTIONS A DESCENT CLRNC SUSPECTING THEY HAVE TAKEN A CLRNC FOR A SIMILAR CALL SIGN.
Narrative: CAPT FLYING 7000 FT MSL. BOS APCH ISSUED A CLRNC TO 2000 FT MSL. FO ANSWERED. I STARTED DESCENT AT APROX 6700 FT MSL. BOX APCH ISSUED AND APCH CLRNC TO ACR X ABCD (OUR FLT # WAS AEFC). I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED DESCENT AND STARTED A CLB BACK TO 7000 FT MSL, ASKED FO TO CONFIRM OUR ALT CLRNC. I WAS NOT SURE, BUT THE FLT # DIFFERENCE WAS TOO CLOSE AND I JUST HAD A HUNCH THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TAKEN AN ALT CLRNC MEANT FOR THE OTHER ACFT. BOS APCH CONFIRMED THAT OUR ALT CLRNC WAS 7000 FT MSL, BUT IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO 3000 FT MSL. TCASII INDICATED THAT NO ACFT WAS ABOVE OR BELOW OURS. REASONS: 1) SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS. 2) 13 HR DUTY DAY. 3) BOS APCH CTLR NOT CATCHING OUR READBACK TO DESCEND TO 2000 FT MSL, DUE TO CTLR WORK LOAD (TFC SATURATION). 4) CAPT NOT QUESTIONING ORIGINAL DESCENT CLRNC AFTER REALLY ONLY HEARING THE FIRST 2 DIGITS OF THE CALL SIGN.
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.