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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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An altitude deviation occurs when the PIC of flight X accepts a clearance meant for flight Y but issued to flight X by controller at ZBW, nh.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 538618 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200202 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : alb.vortac |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw.artcc tower : mdw.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 538618 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
Captain asked center about ride. Told center that FL330 was continuous light, occasional moderate chop. ZBW: 'flight X occasional light chop at FL290, descend to FL290.' 'roger, flight X leaving FL330 for FL290.' another aircraft intervened and asked who the descent was for. ZBW: 'the descent was for flight Y.' we said 'this is flight X and we are descending to FL290.' ZBW: 'flight X, stop descent at FL310.' 'flight Z (wrong call sign) descend to FL290.' should have been flight Y. On 2 or 3 occasions, ZBW mixed up call signs (flight Y and flight Z). No evasive action was taken and no further information from ZBW about altitude deviation. I assume that ZBW mistook our call sign flight X for flight Y. I think I used our call sign in each transmission and ZBW acknowledged our xmissions each time. I feel that the controller thought he was talking to flight Y but he kept using flight X or flight Z call signs. Controller workload or distraction probably led to the confusion.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ALTDEV OCCURS WHEN THE PIC OF FLT X ACCEPTS A CLRNC MEANT FOR FLT Y BUT ISSUED TO FLT X BY CTLR AT ZBW, NH.
Narrative: CAPT ASKED CTR ABOUT RIDE. TOLD CTR THAT FL330 WAS CONTINUOUS LIGHT, OCCASIONAL MODERATE CHOP. ZBW: 'FLT X OCCASIONAL LIGHT CHOP AT FL290, DSND TO FL290.' 'ROGER, FLT X LEAVING FL330 FOR FL290.' ANOTHER ACFT INTERVENED AND ASKED WHO THE DSCNT WAS FOR. ZBW: 'THE DSCNT WAS FOR FLT Y.' WE SAID 'THIS IS FLT X AND WE ARE DSNDING TO FL290.' ZBW: 'FLT X, STOP DSCNT AT FL310.' 'FLT Z (WRONG CALL SIGN) DSND TO FL290.' SHOULD HAVE BEEN FLT Y. ON 2 OR 3 OCCASIONS, ZBW MIXED UP CALL SIGNS (FLT Y AND FLT Z). NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN AND NO FURTHER INFO FROM ZBW ABOUT ALTDEV. I ASSUME THAT ZBW MISTOOK OUR CALL SIGN FLT X FOR FLT Y. I THINK I USED OUR CALL SIGN IN EACH XMISSION AND ZBW ACKNOWLEDGED OUR XMISSIONS EACH TIME. I FEEL THAT THE CTLR THOUGHT HE WAS TALKING TO FLT Y BUT HE KEPT USING FLT X OR FLT Z CALL SIGNS. CTLR WORKLOAD OR DISTR PROBABLY LED TO THE CONFUSION.
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.