Narrative:

We were being held high going into st louis at 9000 ft instead of the usual 7000 ft making our turn at 'snydr' intersection to a heading of 125 degrees. We were then slowed to 190 KTS and told to descend to 6000 ft. I then called for slats extend and flaps 11 degrees, followed by flaps 15 degrees. The ATC controller wanted the speed first then the altitude. I complied with this. Meanwhile, 2 other aircraft with very similar sounding call signs were admonished for responding to other X flight numbers clrncs including ours. It was very busy. I thought we might have been slowed further to 170 KTS. I had my first officer verify our clearance. I was correct -- we slowed to 170 KTS. We were then handed off to the next controller who assigned us a heading of 030 degrees. Lda approachs runway 30L were in use with a final approach heading of 302 degrees. Mentally, I am thinking I am going to have to really work on getting this airplane down when we get our descent clearance. We were just outside of cards (which is 11 DME from the airport) and we were still at 6000 ft. (Much steeper than a 3 degree GS.) the controller then cleared us to intercept the runway 30L lda and to descend to 3500 ft. We were still on a 030 degree heading and we were passing through the localizer. My first officer then told the controller that we were going to go well north of the localizer. Meanwhile I was aggressively turning back towards the localizer and descending. I used the 30 degree bank to allow the nose to fall well below the horizon. Remember, I do not want to go around for being too high for the airport. Responding to my first officer's report of the intercept taking us north of the localizer, the controller ordered us to climb back to 6000 ft. Meanwhile, I am trimmed for a descent in excess of 2000 FPM and am unspooled. An RA from our TCASII sounded immediately. The RA wanted a climb. By the time engines spooled and I established a climb we were clear of the conflict. The conflicting aircraft was a B737 being worked on north frequency for runway 30R. The controller asked us if we had the airport in sight. We reported it and were cleared for a visual approach. I then called for gear down and configured with landing flaps. I used early confign of landing flaps to establish normal slot. The controller then told us that another flight had responded to the intercept turn to final and apologized. We never heard this on our frequency. Given the confusion on the previous frequency and the volume of traffic at that time, I could not rule this out. However, we never received our clearance and never acknowledged it. I noticed the error potential with similar sounding air carrier 4 digit call signs seeming higher than with our previous xy digit call signs. I noticed both pilots and controllers having problems -- with both producing errors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW, ON APCH TO STL, RECEIVED A CLB RA FROM TCASII WHILE OVERSHOOTING FINAL INTERCEPT.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING HELD HIGH GOING INTO ST LOUIS AT 9000 FT INSTEAD OF THE USUAL 7000 FT MAKING OUR TURN AT 'SNYDR' INTXN TO A HDG OF 125 DEGS. WE WERE THEN SLOWED TO 190 KTS AND TOLD TO DSND TO 6000 FT. I THEN CALLED FOR SLATS EXTEND AND FLAPS 11 DEGS, FOLLOWED BY FLAPS 15 DEGS. THE ATC CTLR WANTED THE SPD FIRST THEN THE ALT. I COMPLIED WITH THIS. MEANWHILE, 2 OTHER ACFT WITH VERY SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS WERE ADMONISHED FOR RESPONDING TO OTHER X FLT NUMBERS CLRNCS INCLUDING OURS. IT WAS VERY BUSY. I THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SLOWED FURTHER TO 170 KTS. I HAD MY FO VERIFY OUR CLRNC. I WAS CORRECT -- WE SLOWED TO 170 KTS. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR WHO ASSIGNED US A HDG OF 030 DEGS. LDA APCHS RWY 30L WERE IN USE WITH A FINAL APCH HDG OF 302 DEGS. MENTALLY, I AM THINKING I AM GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY WORK ON GETTING THIS AIRPLANE DOWN WHEN WE GET OUR DSCNT CLRNC. WE WERE JUST OUTSIDE OF CARDS (WHICH IS 11 DME FROM THE ARPT) AND WE WERE STILL AT 6000 FT. (MUCH STEEPER THAN A 3 DEG GS.) THE CTLR THEN CLRED US TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 30L LDA AND TO DSND TO 3500 FT. WE WERE STILL ON A 030 DEG HDG AND WE WERE PASSING THROUGH THE LOC. MY FO THEN TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE GOING TO GO WELL N OF THE LOC. MEANWHILE I WAS AGGRESSIVELY TURNING BACK TOWARDS THE LOC AND DSNDING. I USED THE 30 DEG BANK TO ALLOW THE NOSE TO FALL WELL BELOW THE HORIZON. REMEMBER, I DO NOT WANT TO GO AROUND FOR BEING TOO HIGH FOR THE ARPT. RESPONDING TO MY FO'S RPT OF THE INTERCEPT TAKING US N OF THE LOC, THE CTLR ORDERED US TO CLB BACK TO 6000 FT. MEANWHILE, I AM TRIMMED FOR A DSCNT IN EXCESS OF 2000 FPM AND AM UNSPOOLED. AN RA FROM OUR TCASII SOUNDED IMMEDIATELY. THE RA WANTED A CLB. BY THE TIME ENGS SPOOLED AND I ESTABLISHED A CLB WE WERE CLR OF THE CONFLICT. THE CONFLICTING ACFT WAS A B737 BEING WORKED ON N FREQ FOR RWY 30R. THE CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE RPTED IT AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. I THEN CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN AND CONFIGURED WITH LNDG FLAPS. I USED EARLY CONFIGN OF LNDG FLAPS TO ESTABLISH NORMAL SLOT. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US THAT ANOTHER FLT HAD RESPONDED TO THE INTERCEPT TURN TO FINAL AND APOLOGIZED. WE NEVER HEARD THIS ON OUR FREQ. GIVEN THE CONFUSION ON THE PREVIOUS FREQ AND THE VOLUME OF TFC AT THAT TIME, I COULD NOT RULE THIS OUT. HOWEVER, WE NEVER RECEIVED OUR CLRNC AND NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED IT. I NOTICED THE ERROR POTENTIAL WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING ACR 4 DIGIT CALL SIGNS SEEMING HIGHER THAN WITH OUR PREVIOUS XY DIGIT CALL SIGNS. I NOTICED BOTH PLTS AND CTLRS HAVING PROBS -- WITH BOTH PRODUCING ERRORS.

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.