Narrative:

2 CRJ1's departed cvg at about the same time -- air carrier X on the rockt departure to cak, and air carrier Z on the jodub departure. Air carrier X had a PC12 as traffic at FL200. When air carrier X called on frequency, the radar controller cleared them direct jodub, climb and maintain FL230. Then air carrier Z called on and he cleared them to rockt and to climb and maintain FL190. A few mins later, air carrier X advised that jodub was not on his route of flight. The radar controller acknowledged that and cleared air carrier X direct rockt and air carrier Z direct jodub, but didn't change the altitudes. I plugged in on the d-side shortly after this. 2 mins after I plugged in, the radar controller called traffic to air carrier X and the PC12. Air carrier X answered 'what altitude do you have air carrier climbing to?' as they climbed up to FL198 less than 5 mi nose-to-nose. Radar controller issued turns, and both aircraft reported traffic in sight. The radar controller is a rehire, certified on only 3 of our 6 sectors. He seems to be easily confused and I don't think he should be certified on any of our radar sectors. He was working the sector 'one-manned,' so a d-side might have caught the confusion. The radar controller called the traffic as 'one thousand ft above assigned.' if he had said 'traffic at FL200, maintain FL190' the situation may have been solved. Supplemental information from acn 543369: confused call signs when altitudes and rtes were issued, thus entering erroneous temporary altitude into ASR. Supplemental information from acn 543814: I was the PNF when ATC cleared us to climb to FL230 and direct to jodub intersection. I clarified with ZID that jodub was not on our flight plan. I clarified direct rocket. Later during the climb, ZID called traffic above us at FL200. Knowing that we had been cleared to FL230 and considering we were at FL197, I immediately took control of the aircraft and nosed it over to descend to avoid the traffic at FL200. During the descent, the TCASII initiated an RA to climb. I did not follow the RA because we saw the target on TCASII and he was still at FL200 and we were below that and descending. I asked ZID to verify we were cleared to FL230 in which he responded negative FL190. Once we were clear of the conflict, I explained to him that earlier we had been cleared to FL230. ZID then asked another carrier if he had given them FL230 in which they responded, 'negative, we were given FL190.' the next controller gave us their phone number which I called once when we were on the ground. The FAA left a message on my voice mail admitting the controller had the 2 flts confused.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZID CTLR XREFS 2 CARJ'S WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS AND ONE IS INVOLVED IN AN OPERROR WITH A PC12.

Narrative: 2 CRJ1'S DEPARTED CVG AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME -- ACR X ON THE ROCKT DEP TO CAK, AND ACR Z ON THE JODUB DEP. ACR X HAD A PC12 AS TFC AT FL200. WHEN ACR X CALLED ON FREQ, THE RADAR CTLR CLRED THEM DIRECT JODUB, CLB AND MAINTAIN FL230. THEN ACR Z CALLED ON AND HE CLRED THEM TO ROCKT AND TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL190. A FEW MINS LATER, ACR X ADVISED THAT JODUB WAS NOT ON HIS RTE OF FLT. THE RADAR CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT AND CLRED ACR X DIRECT ROCKT AND ACR Z DIRECT JODUB, BUT DIDN'T CHANGE THE ALTS. I PLUGGED IN ON THE D-SIDE SHORTLY AFTER THIS. 2 MINS AFTER I PLUGGED IN, THE RADAR CTLR CALLED TFC TO ACR X AND THE PC12. ACR X ANSWERED 'WHAT ALT DO YOU HAVE ACR CLBING TO?' AS THEY CLBED UP TO FL198 LESS THAN 5 MI NOSE-TO-NOSE. RADAR CTLR ISSUED TURNS, AND BOTH ACFT RPTED TFC IN SIGHT. THE RADAR CTLR IS A REHIRE, CERTIFIED ON ONLY 3 OF OUR 6 SECTORS. HE SEEMS TO BE EASILY CONFUSED AND I DON'T THINK HE SHOULD BE CERTIFIED ON ANY OF OUR RADAR SECTORS. HE WAS WORKING THE SECTOR 'ONE-MANNED,' SO A D-SIDE MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT THE CONFUSION. THE RADAR CTLR CALLED THE TFC AS 'ONE THOUSAND FT ABOVE ASSIGNED.' IF HE HAD SAID 'TFC AT FL200, MAINTAIN FL190' THE SIT MAY HAVE BEEN SOLVED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 543369: CONFUSED CALL SIGNS WHEN ALTS AND RTES WERE ISSUED, THUS ENTERING ERRONEOUS TEMPORARY ALT INTO ASR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 543814: I WAS THE PNF WHEN ATC CLRED US TO CLB TO FL230 AND DIRECT TO JODUB INTXN. I CLARIFIED WITH ZID THAT JODUB WAS NOT ON OUR FLT PLAN. I CLARIFIED DIRECT ROCKET. LATER DURING THE CLB, ZID CALLED TFC ABOVE US AT FL200. KNOWING THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL230 AND CONSIDERING WE WERE AT FL197, I IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND NOSED IT OVER TO DSND TO AVOID THE TFC AT FL200. DURING THE DSCNT, THE TCASII INITIATED AN RA TO CLB. I DID NOT FOLLOW THE RA BECAUSE WE SAW THE TARGET ON TCASII AND HE WAS STILL AT FL200 AND WE WERE BELOW THAT AND DSNDING. I ASKED ZID TO VERIFY WE WERE CLRED TO FL230 IN WHICH HE RESPONDED NEGATIVE FL190. ONCE WE WERE CLR OF THE CONFLICT, I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT EARLIER WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL230. ZID THEN ASKED ANOTHER CARRIER IF HE HAD GIVEN THEM FL230 IN WHICH THEY RESPONDED, 'NEGATIVE, WE WERE GIVEN FL190.' THE NEXT CTLR GAVE US THEIR PHONE NUMBER WHICH I CALLED ONCE WHEN WE WERE ON THE GND. THE FAA LEFT A MESSAGE ON MY VOICE MAIL ADMITTING THE CTLR HAD THE 2 FLTS CONFUSED.

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.