Company small transport with similar sounding a/north, controller cleared wrong aircraft to climb and computer detected error before separation could be re-established.

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Attributes
ACN	90769
Time
Date	198806
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : oed
State Reference	OR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18400 msl bound upper : 19000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse artcc : zmp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zse
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 7 controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	90769
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 21000 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Two aircraft similar call sign--air carrier X at FL190 and air carrier Y at FL180. Air carrier X asked lower, told unable due to opp traffic at FL180. Air carrier Y asked higher, but thought air carrier X did, so air carrier Y was climbed, not realizing it was wrong aircraft. Conflict alert went off. Action taken to correct by descending air carrier Y back to FL180. Perception was confused by a climb request, so soon after a descent request by similar sounding call signs which just happened to be traffic for each other. The controller was very upset due to confrontation with supervisor less than 20 mins earlier and had asked to go home because of not feeling good as well, and was told no, due to being too short of people. No break had occurred between confrontation and signing on the sector. Mind was not on job for above reasons. Also, controller had headache and bad sinus problems due to allergy problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPANY SMT WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING A/N, CTLR CLEARED WRONG ACFT TO CLIMB AND COMPUTER DETECTED ERROR BEFORE SEPARATION COULD BE RE-ESTABLISHED.

Narrative: TWO ACFT SIMILAR CALL SIGN--ACR X AT FL190 AND ACR Y AT FL180. ACR X ASKED LOWER, TOLD UNABLE DUE TO OPP TFC AT FL180. ACR Y ASKED HIGHER, BUT THOUGHT ACR X DID, SO ACR Y WAS CLBED, NOT REALIZING IT WAS WRONG ACFT. CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF. ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT BY DSNDING ACR Y BACK TO FL180. PERCEPTION WAS CONFUSED BY A CLB REQUEST, SO SOON AFTER A DSCNT REQUEST BY SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS WHICH JUST HAPPENED TO BE TFC FOR EACH OTHER. THE CTLR WAS VERY UPSET DUE TO CONFRONTATION WITH SUPVR LESS THAN 20 MINS EARLIER AND HAD ASKED TO GO HOME BECAUSE OF NOT FEELING GOOD AS WELL, AND WAS TOLD NO, DUE TO BEING TOO SHORT OF PEOPLE. NO BREAK HAD OCCURRED BTWN CONFRONTATION AND SIGNING ON THE SECTOR. MIND WAS NOT ON JOB FOR ABOVE REASONS. ALSO, CTLR HAD HEADACHE AND BAD SINUS PROBS DUE TO ALLERGY PROBS.

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.