Narrative:

Widebody transport xy heavy called approach control inbound to dfw from northwest, was issued initial approach instructions for sequence to airport. Approximately 30 seconds later from the southwest on STAR arrival, widebody transport wxy heavy reported in. Controller acknowledged call and proceeded to caution both widebody transport xy heavy and widebody transport wxy heavy of like call signs. Traffic was heavy and during the stream of following instructions widebody transport xy was instructed to descend first to 7000', then to 6000' MSL. Several xmissions were made to other aircraft and then this controller, intending widebody transport xy to descend to 5000' MSL and contact approach stated, 'widebody transport wxy heavy descend and maintain 5000 contact approach 132.1.' widebody transport wxy heavy answered and complied. Upon leaving 11000' widebody transport wxy penetrated departure airspace. Error was noticed as widebody transport wxy descended through 9000' across the departure routes. Fortunately there were no aircraft in departure's airspace and thus no loss of sep occurred. This controller feels responsible for not catching his own slip of the tongue, but the handoff controller missed it as well. Furthermore, within moments of this incident, large transport cch, large transport fch and large transport hch all checked in on frequency. Would this incident have happened if widebody transport wxy had been widebody transport wvr? Probably not! I cannot stress the importance of being aware of what you said but, but is it necessary for the acrs to schedule like call signs during the same arrival/departure rush? It may look cute on schedule maker's schedule, but are we setting up needlessly the potential for disaster?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR REPORTER TRANSPOSED ACR CALL SIGNS AND DESCENDED ACR WDB INTO ADJACENT CTLR'S AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD.

Narrative: WDB XY HVY CALLED APCH CTL INBND TO DFW FROM NW, WAS ISSUED INITIAL APCH INSTRUCTIONS FOR SEQUENCE TO ARPT. APPROX 30 SECS LATER FROM THE SW ON STAR ARR, WDB WXY HVY RPTED IN. CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED CALL AND PROCEEDED TO CAUTION BOTH WDB XY HVY AND WDB WXY HVY OF LIKE CALL SIGNS. TFC WAS HEAVY AND DURING THE STREAM OF FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS WDB XY WAS INSTRUCTED TO DSND FIRST TO 7000', THEN TO 6000' MSL. SEVERAL XMISSIONS WERE MADE TO OTHER ACFT AND THEN THIS CTLR, INTENDING WDB XY TO DSND TO 5000' MSL AND CONTACT APCH STATED, 'WDB WXY HVY DSND AND MAINTAIN 5000 CONTACT APCH 132.1.' WDB WXY HVY ANSWERED AND COMPLIED. UPON LEAVING 11000' WDB WXY PENETRATED DEP AIRSPACE. ERROR WAS NOTICED AS WDB WXY DSNDED THROUGH 9000' ACROSS THE DEP ROUTES. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO ACFT IN DEP'S AIRSPACE AND THUS NO LOSS OF SEP OCCURRED. THIS CTLR FEELS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT CATCHING HIS OWN SLIP OF THE TONGUE, BUT THE HDOF CTLR MISSED IT AS WELL. FURTHERMORE, WITHIN MOMENTS OF THIS INCIDENT, LGT CCH, LGT FCH AND LGT HCH ALL CHKED IN ON FREQ. WOULD THIS INCIDENT HAVE HAPPENED IF WDB WXY HAD BEEN WDB WVR? PROBABLY NOT! I CANNOT STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING AWARE OF WHAT YOU SAID BUT, BUT IS IT NECESSARY FOR THE ACRS TO SCHEDULE LIKE CALL SIGNS DURING THE SAME ARR/DEP RUSH? IT MAY LOOK CUTE ON SCHEDULE MAKER'S SCHEDULE, BUT ARE WE SETTING UP NEEDLESSLY THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER?

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.