A dc-10 flight crew took a clearance for another company aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	592530
Time
Date	200308
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 26600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 122 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	592530
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	593039
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

After checking in with ZME at FL260, we heard a subsequent call from memphis (about 1 min later) to climb and maintain FL310. We responded and began the climb. Then memphis gave a vector to a 'company aircraft' and we suspected our instruction to climb may have been for that aircraft too. (Our call sign was similar.) our suspicions were confirmed when we asked the controller, so we reversed at FL266 and immediately descended back to FL260. No conflicts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC-10 FLT CREW TOOK A CLRNC FOR ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT.

Narrative: AFTER CHKING IN WITH ZME AT FL260, WE HEARD A SUBSEQUENT CALL FROM MEMPHIS (ABOUT 1 MIN LATER) TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL310. WE RESPONDED AND BEGAN THE CLB. THEN MEMPHIS GAVE A VECTOR TO A 'COMPANY ACFT' AND WE SUSPECTED OUR INSTRUCTION TO CLB MAY HAVE BEEN FOR THAT ACFT TOO. (OUR CALL SIGN WAS SIMILAR.) OUR SUSPICIONS WERE CONFIRMED WHEN WE ASKED THE CTLR, SO WE REVERSED AT FL266 AND IMMEDIATELY DSNDED BACK TO FL260. NO CONFLICTS.

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.