Narrative:

I gave aircraft X holding clearance to hold at surfn and told aircraft X to maintain 10000 ft which he read back correctly. I then gave aircraft Y holding clearance to hold at surfn and to maintain 9000 ft. Aircraft X read back aircraft Y's clearance. I did not catch the readback because I was very busy and had to continue to separate airplanes. I did not expect aircraft X to read back aircraft Y's clearance because I had just given aircraft X holding clearance which he read back correctly the first time. I believe the cause of the problem communication was aircraft X taking someone else's clearance. I think that pilots should be held accountable for taking another clearance that is not meant for them. Air traffic controllers are held responsible for missing readbacks, but pilots are not held responsible for taking someone else's clrncs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZMA CTLR ISSUED HOLDING ALT CLRNC, WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY WRONG ACFT AND RESULTED IN OPERROR.

Narrative: I GAVE ACFT X HOLDING CLRNC TO HOLD AT SURFN AND TOLD ACFT X TO MAINTAIN 10000 FT WHICH HE READ BACK CORRECTLY. I THEN GAVE ACFT Y HOLDING CLRNC TO HOLD AT SURFN AND TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT. ACFT X READ BACK ACFT Y'S CLRNC. I DID NOT CATCH THE READBACK BECAUSE I WAS VERY BUSY AND HAD TO CONTINUE TO SEPARATE AIRPLANES. I DID NOT EXPECT ACFT X TO READ BACK ACFT Y'S CLRNC BECAUSE I HAD JUST GIVEN ACFT X HOLDING CLRNC WHICH HE READ BACK CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THE PROB COM WAS ACFT X TAKING SOMEONE ELSE'S CLRNC. I THINK THAT PLTS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR TAKING ANOTHER CLRNC THAT IS NOT MEANT FOR THEM. AIR TFC CTLRS ARE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR MISSING READBACKS, BUT PLTS ARE NOT HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING SOMEONE ELSE'S 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.