Narrative:

Air carrier X departed runway 35L at dfw with clearance to fly runway heading to 10000 ft. After takeoff, switched to departure. Checked in and was cleared to fly heading 080 degrees and climb to 10000 ft. Heard departure tell air carrier Y (which had departed just prior to us) to turn to 180 degrees and climb to 17000 ft, and heard them read the clearance back. 1 min later, departure called us and told us to turn to 180 degrees and climb to 17000 ft. The first officer read back the clearance. Shortly thereafter, as we were climbing through 11000 ft, departure called us and asked us what our heading was. The first officer replied turning to 180 degrees and climbing to 17000 ft. The controller told us we weren't cleared to do that and told us to turn to 130 degrees and descend to 10000 ft. We complied, but told him that he had cleared us to turn to 180 degrees and climb to 17000 ft. He initially told us that clearance had been for air carrier Y. Shortly, he came back to us and apologized for the clearance and not catching the readback, said there had been no conflict and mentioned something about confusion between air carrier X and air carrier Y. He apologized again and asked us if we were 'ok' with the situation. Since there had been no conflict, we said we were 'ok' with the situation. He thanked us again and switched us over to another frequency. Both the first officer and I are certain we were issued the clearance to turn to 180 degrees and climb to 17000 ft. I definitely did read back that clearance. I believe the controller got air carrier Y and air carrier X confused and mistakenly issued us the clearance. I think this is a perfect example of the importance of requiring controllers to listen to readbacks to help avoid errors on both sides.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D10 CTLR ACKNOWLEDGES HE ERRONEOUSLY ISSUED A CLRNC TO THE WRONG ACR.

Narrative: ACR X DEPARTED RWY 35L AT DFW WITH CLRNC TO FLY RWY HDG TO 10000 FT. AFTER TKOF, SWITCHED TO DEP. CHKED IN AND WAS CLRED TO FLY HDG 080 DEGS AND CLB TO 10000 FT. HEARD DEP TELL ACR Y (WHICH HAD DEPARTED JUST PRIOR TO US) TO TURN TO 180 DEGS AND CLB TO 17000 FT, AND HEARD THEM READ THE CLRNC BACK. 1 MIN LATER, DEP CALLED US AND TOLD US TO TURN TO 180 DEGS AND CLB TO 17000 FT. THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 11000 FT, DEP CALLED US AND ASKED US WHAT OUR HDG WAS. THE FO REPLIED TURNING TO 180 DEGS AND CLBING TO 17000 FT. THE CTLR TOLD US WE WEREN'T CLRED TO DO THAT AND TOLD US TO TURN TO 130 DEGS AND DSND TO 10000 FT. WE COMPLIED, BUT TOLD HIM THAT HE HAD CLRED US TO TURN TO 180 DEGS AND CLB TO 17000 FT. HE INITIALLY TOLD US THAT CLRNC HAD BEEN FOR ACR Y. SHORTLY, HE CAME BACK TO US AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE CLRNC AND NOT CATCHING THE READBACK, SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO CONFLICT AND MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT CONFUSION BTWN ACR X AND ACR Y. HE APOLOGIZED AGAIN AND ASKED US IF WE WERE 'OK' WITH THE SIT. SINCE THERE HAD BEEN NO CONFLICT, WE SAID WE WERE 'OK' WITH THE SIT. HE THANKED US AGAIN AND SWITCHED US OVER TO ANOTHER FREQ. BOTH THE FO AND I ARE CERTAIN WE WERE ISSUED THE CLRNC TO TURN TO 180 DEGS AND CLB TO 17000 FT. I DEFINITELY DID READ BACK THAT CLRNC. I BELIEVE THE CTLR GOT ACR Y AND ACR X CONFUSED AND MISTAKENLY ISSUED US THE CLRNC. I THINK THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF REQUIRING CTLRS TO LISTEN TO READBACKS TO HELP AVOID ERRORS ON BOTH SIDES.

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.