Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan (flo to hky) along a 124 NM trip which crosses across class B airspace controled by charlotte approach. I planned the flight to traverse clt airspace mainly during a published slow time. At the place indicated above, I heard the controller calling another aircraft, but he is unable to raise them. I do not recall the other identification he was using. After a few attempts, finally he tells them to squawk VFR, radar services terminated 'for non-compliance'. As I near where my usual handoff space is, I hear that they have changed controllers (new voice) and he says xxxxx (me) identify if you can read this. I of course respond by radio 'XXXX read you loud and clear.' he responds 'sir the last controller tried raise you and you didn't respond. He cancelled your flight plan, recommend atlanta center on...' I do not remember the frequency at this time. I was under the impression that nobody except the PIC could cancel an IFR plan in flight. I respond 'he was calling another aircraft, he was not using my aircraft identification' I got no response. Rather than wait and have a 'radio fight' I changed over to atlanta center and heard the atlanta center controller giving traffic crossing my altitude an alert about me and he says to the other aircraft ' the other controllers have been unable to raise him, he's not talking to anyone'. So I call in 'atlanta center XXXX is talking and the last controller was using the wrong aircraft identification, please advise location of traffic?' he responds with something, I do not remember what but the traffic was not a factor, so he follows with 'sir our airport is 12:00 5 miles, do you have it?' I respond 'XXXX has the field.' I was then cleared for the visual approach, and the rest of flight was uneventful. Human performance perceptions, judgments, decisions-clt does not facilitate GA aircraft is my perception, and therefore they make flying there difficult and this time dangerous. Action/inaction 1) inappropriate identification usage, and inappropriate cancellation of IFR flight plan. 2) I could have misunderstood the controller and failed to respond when I was called. Factors affecting human performance-I worked all day before making this 1 hour flight, but I did have a nap. The controller may have been tired, as another controller relieved him, or maybe his shift was over. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said after landing he did not call the clt approach facility and talk to a supervisor for fear he had done something wrong. He said he heard the clt controller call an aircraft 4 or 5 times using a call sign that was completely different than his call sign.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR AT CLT CANCELS A PLTS IFR FLT PLAN AFTER CALLING A FEW TIMES, USING AN INCORRECT CALL SIGN, AND NOT RECEIVING A RESPONSE FROM THE PLT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN (FLO TO HKY) ALONG A 124 NM TRIP WHICH CROSSES ACROSS CLASS B AIRSPACE CTLED BY CHARLOTTE APCH. I PLANNED THE FLT TO TRAVERSE CLT AIRSPACE MAINLY DURING A PUBLISHED SLOW TIME. AT THE PLACE INDICATED ABOVE, I HEARD THE CTLR CALLING ANOTHER ACFT, BUT HE IS UNABLE TO RAISE THEM. I DO NOT RECALL THE OTHER ID HE WAS USING. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS, FINALLY HE TELLS THEM TO SQUAWK VFR, RADAR SERVICES TERMINATED 'FOR NON-COMPLIANCE'. AS I NEAR WHERE MY USUAL HANDOFF SPACE IS, I HEAR THAT THEY HAVE CHANGED CTLRS (NEW VOICE) AND HE SAYS XXXXX (ME) IDENT IF YOU CAN READ THIS. I OF COURSE RESPOND BY RADIO 'XXXX READ YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.' HE RESPONDS 'SIR THE LAST CTLR TRIED RAISE YOU AND YOU DIDN'T RESPOND. HE CANCELLED YOUR FLT PLAN, RECOMMEND ATLANTA CENTER ON...' I DO NOT REMEMBER THE FREQ AT THIS TIME. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT NOBODY EXCEPT THE PIC COULD CANCEL AN IFR PLAN IN FLT. I RESPOND 'HE WAS CALLING ANOTHER ACFT, HE WAS NOT USING MY ACFT ID' I GOT NO RESPONSE. RATHER THAN WAIT AND HAVE A 'RADIO FIGHT' I CHANGED OVER TO ATLANTA CENTER AND HEARD THE ATLANTA CENTER CTLR GIVING TFC XING MY ALTITUDE AN ALERT ABOUT ME AND HE SAYS TO THE OTHER ACFT ' THE OTHER CTLRS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RAISE HIM, HE'S NOT TALKING TO ANYONE'. SO I CALL IN 'ATLANTA CENTER XXXX IS TALKING AND THE LAST CTLR WAS USING THE WRONG ACFT ID, PLEASE ADVISE LOCATION OF TFC?' HE RESPONDS WITH SOMETHING, I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT BUT THE TFC WAS NOT A FACTOR, SO HE FOLLOWS WITH 'SIR OUR ARPT IS 12:00 5 MILES, DO YOU HAVE IT?' I RESPOND 'XXXX HAS THE FIELD.' I WAS THEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH, AND THE REST OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. HUMAN PERFORMANCE PERCEPTIONS, JUDGMENTS, DECISIONS-CLT DOES NOT FACILITATE GA ACFT IS MY PERCEPTION, AND THEREFORE THEY MAKE FLYING THERE DIFFICULT AND THIS TIME DANGEROUS. ACTION/INACTION 1) INAPPROPRIATE ID USAGE, AND INAPPROPRIATE CANCELLATION OF IFR FLT PLAN. 2) I COULD HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE CTLR AND FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN I WAS CALLED. FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE-I WORKED ALL DAY BEFORE MAKING THIS 1 HR FLT, BUT I DID HAVE A NAP. THE CTLR MAY HAVE BEEN TIRED, AS ANOTHER CTLR RELIEVED HIM, OR MAYBE HIS SHIFT WAS OVER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID AFTER LNDG HE DID NOT CALL THE CLT APCH FAC AND TALK TO A SUPVR FOR FEAR HE HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG. HE SAID HE HEARD THE CLT CTLR CALL AN ACFT 4 OR 5 TIMES USING A CALL SIGN THAT WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN HIS 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.