Narrative:

Talking to ZBW, they gave us a frequency change to ZNY (all 3 of us heard it clearly). We checked in 'ZNY, air carrier X heavy....' he acknowledged and gave us a turn to the south. We acknowledged and complied. We then asked for further clarification to our previous crossing restr of 7000 ft 25 DME north of sparta. Controller seemed somewhat confused but said 'just descend to 7000 ft.' we were listening to 121.5 and heard ZNY calling for a flight 'air carrier Y.' new york was also calling 'air carrier Y' on our particular frequency -- to no avail. When air carrier Y finally did check in, the controller asked them why they had left the frequency. They replied 'boston just switched us over.' he (controller) then said 'I thought I talked to you earlier about the crossing restr 25 NM north of sparta.' there was silence. We then said 'that was air carrier X that had asked you.' this obviously caught him by surprise. He asked for our position. We told him the 030 degree radial/30 DME from sparta descending to 7000 ft. He then said 'oh, that's the problem.' 'air carrier X, you took someone else's frequency change/handoff.' this surprised us greatly since we had clearly checked in with him various times as 'air carrier X heavy.' he then gave us a turn to 270 degrees. We asked if there was a problem. He said no. Later he came back and said 'air carrier X, it's not entirely your fault, it seems boston switched you early because air carrier Y never came over.' he then concluded that it had been 'a comedy of errors.' we once again asked if there had been any problem whatsoever. He said not at all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZNY ARTCC RADAR CTLR DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A SIMILAR CALL SIGN PROB AND ISSUES A DSCNT CLRNC TO THE WRONG ACFT.

Narrative: TALKING TO ZBW, THEY GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE TO ZNY (ALL 3 OF US HEARD IT CLRLY). WE CHKED IN 'ZNY, ACR X HVY....' HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND GAVE US A TURN TO THE S. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED. WE THEN ASKED FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION TO OUR PREVIOUS XING RESTR OF 7000 FT 25 DME N OF SPARTA. CTLR SEEMED SOMEWHAT CONFUSED BUT SAID 'JUST DSND TO 7000 FT.' WE WERE LISTENING TO 121.5 AND HEARD ZNY CALLING FOR A FLT 'ACR Y.' NEW YORK WAS ALSO CALLING 'ACR Y' ON OUR PARTICULAR FREQ -- TO NO AVAIL. WHEN ACR Y FINALLY DID CHK IN, THE CTLR ASKED THEM WHY THEY HAD LEFT THE FREQ. THEY REPLIED 'BOSTON JUST SWITCHED US OVER.' HE (CTLR) THEN SAID 'I THOUGHT I TALKED TO YOU EARLIER ABOUT THE XING RESTR 25 NM N OF SPARTA.' THERE WAS SILENCE. WE THEN SAID 'THAT WAS ACR X THAT HAD ASKED YOU.' THIS OBVIOUSLY CAUGHT HIM BY SURPRISE. HE ASKED FOR OUR POS. WE TOLD HIM THE 030 DEG RADIAL/30 DME FROM SPARTA DSNDING TO 7000 FT. HE THEN SAID 'OH, THAT'S THE PROB.' 'ACR X, YOU TOOK SOMEONE ELSE'S FREQ CHANGE/HDOF.' THIS SURPRISED US GREATLY SINCE WE HAD CLRLY CHKED IN WITH HIM VARIOUS TIMES AS 'ACR X HVY.' HE THEN GAVE US A TURN TO 270 DEGS. WE ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB. HE SAID NO. LATER HE CAME BACK AND SAID 'ACR X, IT'S NOT ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT, IT SEEMS BOSTON SWITCHED YOU EARLY BECAUSE ACR Y NEVER CAME OVER.' HE THEN CONCLUDED THAT IT HAD BEEN 'A COMEDY OF ERRORS.' WE ONCE AGAIN ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY PROB WHATSOEVER. HE SAID NOT AT ALL.

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.