<< >> NASA ASRS Report 572920, January 2003

After hearing and acknowledging a clearance to descend, an air carrier crew is stopped and told the clearance was for another company aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	572920
Time
Date	200301
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zla.artcc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.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 : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	572920
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

As abcd, we 'rogered' a clearance to change frequencys from ZLA. There was another company abed on frequency. We changed frequencys and were given a clearance to descend from FL280 to 12000 ft. We were told at FL270 to stop and maintain altitude. The controller said not to worry, the clearance was for abed, not abcd, but there was no conflict. Controller then told us it was 'our' fault and 'we should not have accepted the descent clearance.' question #1: how can we practically operate daily, questioning every clearance given by ATC? Question #2: at what point is ATC responsible for erroneous clrncs?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER HEARING AND ACKNOWLEDGING A CLRNC TO DSND, AN ACR CREW IS STOPPED AND TOLD THE CLRNC WAS FOR ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT.

Narrative: AS ABCD, WE 'ROGERED' A CLRNC TO CHANGE FREQS FROM ZLA. THERE WAS ANOTHER COMPANY ABED ON FREQ. WE CHANGED FREQS AND WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND FROM FL280 TO 12000 FT. WE WERE TOLD AT FL270 TO STOP AND MAINTAIN ALT. THE CTLR SAID NOT TO WORRY, THE CLRNC WAS FOR ABED, NOT ABCD, BUT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. CTLR THEN TOLD US IT WAS 'OUR' FAULT AND 'WE SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE DSCNT CLRNC.' QUESTION #1: HOW CAN WE PRACTICALLY OPERATE DAILY, QUESTIONING EVERY CLRNC GIVEN BY ATC? QUESTION #2: AT WHAT POINT IS ATC RESPONSIBLE FOR ERRONEOUS CLRNCS?

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.