Narrative:

Aircraft was foreign air carrier X on a flight originating in mexican airspace and landing at los angeles. Flight strip identified the aircraft as a B727, which is a large aircraft for wake turbulence consideration. I suspected that the aircraft was not actually a B727, so I asked the pilot to verify his type aircraft. The response was a heavy B757. This has happened several times in the last few months. I have brought it to the attention of supervision each time, but the problem still exists. This group of pilots are very inconsistent in using 'heavy' as part of their call sign, so unless a controller is familiar with the problem, we probably won't catch it. The controller's manual allows me to put a large aircraft 2 1/2 miles behind another large aircraft on final, behind a heavy requires 5 miles. I hope this problem is resolved. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that management has been made aware of this problem by other cltr's. He was not aware if this problem had been coordination with ZLA. ZLA specialist advised that ZLA receives a verbal transfer and handoff from mmzt, fir, and what ever data information is passed is what the ZLA controller enters into the ZLA database, which is then disseminated to the effected ATC facility's to landing destination. The problem is with either the transferred information from mmzt or incorrectly entered by the ZLA controller. It is the responsibility of the ZLA controller to ensure the correct strip format is applied for the transferred aircraft, as well as destination routing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SCT CTLR CONCERNED WITH INCORRECT ACFT TYPE FLT PLAN PROCESSING, A B757 BEING INDICATED AS A B727.

Narrative: ACFT WAS FOREIGN ACR X ON A FLT ORIGINATING IN MEXICAN AIRSPACE AND LNDG AT LOS ANGELES. FLT STRIP IDENTIFIED THE ACFT AS A B727, WHICH IS A LARGE ACFT FOR WAKE TURBULENCE CONSIDERATION. I SUSPECTED THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT ACTUALLY A B727, SO I ASKED THE PLT TO VERIFY HIS TYPE ACFT. THE RESPONSE WAS A HEAVY B757. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF SUPERVISION EACH TIME, BUT THE PROB STILL EXISTS. THIS GROUP OF PLTS ARE VERY INCONSISTENT IN USING 'HEAVY' AS PART OF THEIR CALL SIGN, SO UNLESS A CTLR IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROB, WE PROBABLY WON'T CATCH IT. THE CTLR'S MANUAL ALLOWS ME TO PUT A LARGE ACFT 2 1/2 MILES BEHIND ANOTHER LARGE ACFT ON FINAL, BEHIND A HEAVY REQUIRES 5 MILES. I HOPE THIS PROB IS RESOLVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT MGMNT HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS PROB BY OTHER CLTR'S. HE WAS NOT AWARE IF THIS PROB HAD BEEN COORD WITH ZLA. ZLA SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT ZLA RECEIVES A VERBAL TRANSFER AND HDOF FROM MMZT, FIR, AND WHAT EVER DATA INFO IS PASSED IS WHAT THE ZLA CTLR ENTERS INTO THE ZLA DATABASE, WHICH IS THEN DISSEMINATED TO THE EFFECTED ATC FAC'S TO LNDG DEST. THE PROB IS WITH EITHER THE TRANSFERRED INFO FROM MMZT OR INCORRECTLY ENTERED BY THE ZLA CTLR. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ZLA CTLR TO ENSURE THE CORRECT STRIP FORMAT IS APPLIED FOR THE TRANSFERRED ACFT, AS WELL AS DEST ROUTING.

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.