Narrative:

Crew received a clearance from ZBW -- air carrier X to cross 35 mi west of alb VOR at FL290. Crew read back clearance issued by ZBW. The readback was inclusive of airline, flight number, and the full clearance issued, ie, 'air carrier X descend so as to cross 35 mi west of alb VOR at FL290.' as crew initiated the descent out of FL330 for FL290, crew attempted to call ZBW reporting out of FL330 for FL290. Our call was blocked and the next transmission we received was to contact ZBW on another frequency. Upon initial contact to ZBW, there was no answer. On our second call on the same frequency, the controller acknowledged our call in with air carrier X 'roger.' 1 min later, the controller explained why he had not initially responded to our first call. He said that there was a bizjet on the same previous frequency as ours with a similar call sign as ours and that we had accepted his clearance. Both the captain and first officer clearly heard ZBW issue our flight the clearance to descend. We clearly restated the clearance to descend almost word for word. The controller did not correct the readback nor did he mention the bizjet with similar call sign on the frequency. The bizjet did not respond to the assignment either (because it was issued to us). After the frequency change the controller attempted to justify the previous controller's instruction. The previous controller did not correct our readback (because our readback was correct) and by the time he had noticed our aircraft descending, the frequency change had taken place and the next controller was handling our aircraft. On 2 separate occasions the controllers stated that there was no operational conflict and that there was no paperwork generated. This appeared to be an airspace issue with no conflict or threat to our aircraft or any other. I believe that there was a misunderstanding with the original controller and our clearance, and between the 2 controllers during our handoff. There were no aircraft painting on our TCASII presentation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 CREW, LEVEL AT FL330, RECEIVED READBACK AND INITIATED A DSCNT CLRNC ATC PROFESSES WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN.

Narrative: CREW RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM ZBW -- ACR X TO CROSS 35 MI W OF ALB VOR AT FL290. CREW READ BACK CLRNC ISSUED BY ZBW. THE READBACK WAS INCLUSIVE OF AIRLINE, FLT NUMBER, AND THE FULL CLRNC ISSUED, IE, 'ACR X DSND SO AS TO CROSS 35 MI W OF ALB VOR AT FL290.' AS CREW INITIATED THE DSCNT OUT OF FL330 FOR FL290, CREW ATTEMPTED TO CALL ZBW RPTING OUT OF FL330 FOR FL290. OUR CALL WAS BLOCKED AND THE NEXT XMISSION WE RECEIVED WAS TO CONTACT ZBW ON ANOTHER FREQ. UPON INITIAL CONTACT TO ZBW, THERE WAS NO ANSWER. ON OUR SECOND CALL ON THE SAME FREQ, THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CALL IN WITH ACR X 'ROGER.' 1 MIN LATER, THE CTLR EXPLAINED WHY HE HAD NOT INITIALLY RESPONDED TO OUR FIRST CALL. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A BIZJET ON THE SAME PREVIOUS FREQ AS OURS WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN AS OURS AND THAT WE HAD ACCEPTED HIS CLRNC. BOTH THE CAPT AND FO CLRLY HEARD ZBW ISSUE OUR FLT THE CLRNC TO DSND. WE CLRLY RESTATED THE CLRNC TO DSND ALMOST WORD FOR WORD. THE CTLR DID NOT CORRECT THE READBACK NOR DID HE MENTION THE BIZJET WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON THE FREQ. THE BIZJET DID NOT RESPOND TO THE ASSIGNMENT EITHER (BECAUSE IT WAS ISSUED TO US). AFTER THE FREQ CHANGE THE CTLR ATTEMPTED TO JUSTIFY THE PREVIOUS CTLR'S INSTRUCTION. THE PREVIOUS CTLR DID NOT CORRECT OUR READBACK (BECAUSE OUR READBACK WAS CORRECT) AND BY THE TIME HE HAD NOTICED OUR ACFT DSNDING, THE FREQ CHANGE HAD TAKEN PLACE AND THE NEXT CTLR WAS HANDLING OUR ACFT. ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE CTLRS STATED THAT THERE WAS NO OPERATIONAL CONFLICT AND THAT THERE WAS NO PAPERWORK GENERATED. THIS APPEARED TO BE AN AIRSPACE ISSUE WITH NO CONFLICT OR THREAT TO OUR ACFT OR ANY OTHER. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING WITH THE ORIGINAL CTLR AND OUR CLRNC, AND BTWN THE 2 CTLRS DURING OUR HDOF. THERE WERE NO ACFT PAINTING ON OUR TCASII PRESENTATION.

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.