Narrative:

Flight was air carrier a xyz, first officer flying aircraft and level at FL280 after stairstep climb from 6000' out of mci. Both heard clearance to FL310. Filed for FL350 so another stairstep seemed normal. Commenced climb. At FL299 center asked what our altitude was and I responded. Controller replied that we had taken another aircraft's climb clearance. He then cleared us on to FL310. We had read back our clearance to the controller and he did not object. We heard no other traffic on the frequency and no objection from any other aircraft. At the time we received the clearance, I was making the required passenger announcement for turning off seatbelt sign, but was still monitoring radio. This appears to be another typical hearback/readback incident. It would be interesting to hear the tape to see if the controller clipped off the company identification as so frequently happens. Stairstep climb clrncs, as I recall, were 6000', 15000', 18000', 23000', 26000', 28000'. We leveled at 15000', 23000' and 28000'. I spoke by telephone with kc center watch supervisors who told me that there was no conflict, 'or I would have heard about it before now.' my questions: why didn't the controller recognize the error in our readback? Why, if there was no conflicting traffic, were we being held at FL280 in the first place? There was an air carrier B xyz that departed mci a short time ahead of us. Was it that flight the controller was talking to? We did not hear him on our frequency (133.92). Was the controller talking on more than 1 frequency? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter is concerned because so many controllers are clipping their xmissions and many times company names are not heard, just flight number. And, unless one knows another flight with the same number is on frequency, with the amount of traffic they are handling, the controllers are not catching the errors. Analyst explained to reporter that many times both aircraft transmit at same time and controller only hears one. Reporter feels that because of controller shortage, controllers are working too many frequencys. Supplemental information from acn 82366: mci center said, ' xyz, cleared to fl 310.' both captain (who was making a passenger announcement) and I reached to respond--I won. Responded, 'FL310, air carrier B xyz.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG OVERSHOT ALT ON CLIMB.

Narrative: FLT WAS ACR A XYZ, F/O FLYING ACFT AND LEVEL AT FL280 AFTER STAIRSTEP CLB FROM 6000' OUT OF MCI. BOTH HEARD CLRNC TO FL310. FILED FOR FL350 SO ANOTHER STAIRSTEP SEEMED NORMAL. COMMENCED CLB. AT FL299 CENTER ASKED WHAT OUR ALT WAS AND I RESPONDED. CTLR REPLIED THAT WE HAD TAKEN ANOTHER ACFT'S CLB CLRNC. HE THEN CLRED US ON TO FL310. WE HAD READ BACK OUR CLRNC TO THE CTLR AND HE DID NOT OBJECT. WE HEARD NO OTHER TFC ON THE FREQ AND NO OBJECTION FROM ANY OTHER ACFT. AT THE TIME WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC, I WAS MAKING THE REQUIRED PAX ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TURNING OFF SEATBELT SIGN, BUT WAS STILL MONITORING RADIO. THIS APPEARS TO BE ANOTHER TYPICAL HEARBACK/READBACK INCIDENT. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO HEAR THE TAPE TO SEE IF THE CTLR CLIPPED OFF THE COMPANY ID AS SO FREQUENTLY HAPPENS. STAIRSTEP CLB CLRNCS, AS I RECALL, WERE 6000', 15000', 18000', 23000', 26000', 28000'. WE LEVELED AT 15000', 23000' AND 28000'. I SPOKE BY TELEPHONE WITH KC CENTER WATCH SUPVRS WHO TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT, 'OR I WOULD HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT BEFORE NOW.' MY QUESTIONS: WHY DIDN'T THE CTLR RECOGNIZE THE ERROR IN OUR READBACK? WHY, IF THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC, WERE WE BEING HELD AT FL280 IN THE FIRST PLACE? THERE WAS AN ACR B XYZ THAT DEPARTED MCI A SHORT TIME AHEAD OF US. WAS IT THAT FLT THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO? WE DID NOT HEAR HIM ON OUR FREQ (133.92). WAS THE CTLR TALKING ON MORE THAN 1 FREQ? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR IS CONCERNED BECAUSE SO MANY CTLRS ARE CLIPPING THEIR XMISSIONS AND MANY TIMES COMPANY NAMES ARE NOT HEARD, JUST FLT NUMBER. AND, UNLESS ONE KNOWS ANOTHER FLT WITH THE SAME NUMBER IS ON FREQ, WITH THE AMOUNT OF TFC THEY ARE HANDLING, THE CTLRS ARE NOT CATCHING THE ERRORS. ANALYST EXPLAINED TO RPTR THAT MANY TIMES BOTH ACFT XMIT AT SAME TIME AND CTLR ONLY HEARS ONE. RPTR FEELS THAT BECAUSE OF CTLR SHORTAGE, CTLRS ARE WORKING TOO MANY FREQS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 82366: MCI CENTER SAID, ' XYZ, CLRED TO FL 310.' BOTH CAPT (WHO WAS MAKING A PAX ANNOUNCEMENT) AND I REACHED TO RESPOND--I WON. RESPONDED, 'FL310, ACR B XYZ.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.