Narrative:

We were on radar vectors with phx approach downwind to runway 8. We were given a clearance to descend from 5000 ft to 4000 ft. As we started our descent, we were given a clearance to turn left to 120 degrees, maintain 5000 ft (base leg). We read back the clearance, but immediately noticed an altitude conflict from our previous clearance to descend to 4000 ft. We questioned the altitude clearance and were told we accepted another airplane's clearance and to turn right to a (?) heading (west) and climb to 5000 ft (by this time we were around 4500 ft). From that point on, it got very confusing with numerous heading changes, plus we were told to again descend back to 4000 ft. We ended up going under a company aircraft with a clearance of 7000 ft. No evasive action was taken by either airplane. Approach gave the aircraft Y a 360 degree turn and we ended up landing off the visual to runway 7R. Basically, the clearance for the 120 degree turn was for a company aircraft, a 3 numbered flight. We were a 4 numbered flight with a very dissimilar flight number. We lost track of company aircraft who was ahead of us during the arrival. Had we known they were still on downwind also and ahead of us, we might have questioned the clearance earlier. Had I been more aggressive in getting down to 4000 ft the second time, we would have had the 1000 ft separation with company aircraft. The 2 statements above assume we did not answer company's clearance in the first place. Approach control and both crews kept their cool during the confusion, preventing this confusion, preventing this event from becoming worse. Supplemental information from acn 605864: the controller said we took a clearance meant for another aircraft. That was simply not true. The controller was obviously instructing company but spoke our call sign in error. From this point we took ATC instruction to see and avoid the MD10. The controller actually did a good job getting both of us sequenced for safe lndgs. The MD10 crew told us that at the time we had received our clearance they were about to go through the localizer and weren't sure at that point what was going on. We both agreed things got screwed up but not to the point of being dangerous. I have 37 yrs of accident/incident free flying and can say with absolute clarity we did not take another aircraft's instructions. Clearance was actually odd because it would have put us on an angling base to final and we were still too high to be able to be stabilized on final by 1000 ft AGL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ON VECTOR AT PHX, P50 APPARENTLY ISSUED TURNS AND ALT DSCNT TO AN A300 THAT WAS MEANT FOR AN MD10. PLTS MAINTAINED VISUAL SEPARATION AS P50 RESEQUENCED BOTH ACFT TO FINAL.

Narrative: WE WERE ON RADAR VECTORS WITH PHX APCH DOWNWIND TO RWY 8. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND FROM 5000 FT TO 4000 FT. AS WE STARTED OUR DSCNT, WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO TURN L TO 120 DEGS, MAINTAIN 5000 FT (BASE LEG). WE READ BACK THE CLRNC, BUT IMMEDIATELY NOTICED AN ALT CONFLICT FROM OUR PREVIOUS CLRNC TO DSND TO 4000 FT. WE QUESTIONED THE ALT CLRNC AND WERE TOLD WE ACCEPTED ANOTHER AIRPLANE'S CLRNC AND TO TURN R TO A (?) HDG (W) AND CLB TO 5000 FT (BY THIS TIME WE WERE AROUND 4500 FT). FROM THAT POINT ON, IT GOT VERY CONFUSING WITH NUMEROUS HDG CHANGES, PLUS WE WERE TOLD TO AGAIN DSND BACK TO 4000 FT. WE ENDED UP GOING UNDER A COMPANY ACFT WITH A CLRNC OF 7000 FT. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY EITHER AIRPLANE. APCH GAVE THE ACFT Y A 360 DEG TURN AND WE ENDED UP LNDG OFF THE VISUAL TO RWY 7R. BASICALLY, THE CLRNC FOR THE 120 DEG TURN WAS FOR A COMPANY ACFT, A 3 NUMBERED FLT. WE WERE A 4 NUMBERED FLT WITH A VERY DISSIMILAR FLT NUMBER. WE LOST TRACK OF COMPANY ACFT WHO WAS AHEAD OF US DURING THE ARR. HAD WE KNOWN THEY WERE STILL ON DOWNWIND ALSO AND AHEAD OF US, WE MIGHT HAVE QUESTIONED THE CLRNC EARLIER. HAD I BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN GETTING DOWN TO 4000 FT THE SECOND TIME, WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE 1000 FT SEPARATION WITH COMPANY ACFT. THE 2 STATEMENTS ABOVE ASSUME WE DID NOT ANSWER COMPANY'S CLRNC IN THE FIRST PLACE. APCH CTL AND BOTH CREWS KEPT THEIR COOL DURING THE CONFUSION, PREVENTING THIS CONFUSION, PREVENTING THIS EVENT FROM BECOMING WORSE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 605864: THE CTLR SAID WE TOOK A CLRNC MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACFT. THAT WAS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. THE CTLR WAS OBVIOUSLY INSTRUCTING COMPANY BUT SPOKE OUR CALL SIGN IN ERROR. FROM THIS POINT WE TOOK ATC INSTRUCTION TO SEE AND AVOID THE MD10. THE CTLR ACTUALLY DID A GOOD JOB GETTING BOTH OF US SEQUENCED FOR SAFE LNDGS. THE MD10 CREW TOLD US THAT AT THE TIME WE HAD RECEIVED OUR CLRNC THEY WERE ABOUT TO GO THROUGH THE LOC AND WEREN'T SURE AT THAT POINT WHAT WAS GOING ON. WE BOTH AGREED THINGS GOT SCREWED UP BUT NOT TO THE POINT OF BEING DANGEROUS. I HAVE 37 YRS OF ACCIDENT/INCIDENT FREE FLYING AND CAN SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CLARITY WE DID NOT TAKE ANOTHER ACFT'S INSTRUCTIONS. CLRNC WAS ACTUALLY ODD BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE PUT US ON AN ANGLING BASE TO FINAL AND WE WERE STILL TOO HIGH TO BE ABLE TO BE STABILIZED ON FINAL BY 1000 FT AGL.

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.