<< >> NASA ASRS Report 576730, March 2003

A B737 flight crew thought it was cleared to FL350, but later ATC informs them that they took a clearance for another aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	576730
Time
Date	200303
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc tracon : m87.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 530
ASRS Report	576730
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	576731
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

On climb out from stl we were given a climb to FL280. We requested FL350 for a final. We were given climb to FL290 then a climb to FL350 after we had been level at FL290. All clrncs were read back 'company # and the altitude cleared to.' at FL305 a different controller came on and asked our altitude. We responded 'company # and gave our altitude and that we were climbing to FL350.' the first controller started to issue us a descent and the second controller said 'no' in the background. We continued at FL350 for about 1 hour when center gave us a number to call about an altitude deviation. Nothing else had been said to us about this. According to ATC, we took a climb clearance for another aircraft. We never heard another aircraft respond to the clearance and we never knew this was a similar call sign on the frequency. The captain and I were not tired or distracted in any way, and we both thought we had been cleared to FL350. It never occurred to us that we may have done anything wrong until we received the message to call ATC about a possible altitude deviation. As far as we knew, we had complied with the climb instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW THOUGHT IT WAS CLRED TO FL350, BUT LATER ATC INFORMS THEM THAT THEY TOOK A CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM STL WE WERE GIVEN A CLB TO FL280. WE REQUESTED FL350 FOR A FINAL. WE WERE GIVEN CLB TO FL290 THEN A CLB TO FL350 AFTER WE HAD BEEN LEVEL AT FL290. ALL CLRNCS WERE READ BACK 'COMPANY # AND THE ALT CLRED TO.' AT FL305 A DIFFERENT CTLR CAME ON AND ASKED OUR ALT. WE RESPONDED 'COMPANY # AND GAVE OUR ALT AND THAT WE WERE CLBING TO FL350.' THE FIRST CTLR STARTED TO ISSUE US A DSCNT AND THE SECOND CTLR SAID 'NO' IN THE BACKGROUND. WE CONTINUED AT FL350 FOR ABOUT 1 HR WHEN CTR GAVE US A NUMBER TO CALL ABOUT AN ALTDEV. NOTHING ELSE HAD BEEN SAID TO US ABOUT THIS. ACCORDING TO ATC, WE TOOK A CLB CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT. WE NEVER HEARD ANOTHER ACFT RESPOND TO THE CLRNC AND WE NEVER KNEW THIS WAS A SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON THE FREQ. THE CAPT AND I WERE NOT TIRED OR DISTRACTED IN ANY WAY, AND WE BOTH THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL350. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO US THAT WE MAY HAVE DONE ANYTHING WRONG UNTIL WE RECEIVED THE MESSAGE TO CALL ATC ABOUT A POSSIBLE ALTDEV. AS FAR AS WE KNEW, WE HAD COMPLIED WITH THE CLB INSTRUCTIONS.

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.