ATC failed to advise flight crews of the presence of two flights with identical flight numbers on th...

Attributes
ACN	939739
Time
Date	201103
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Cruise
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200
Person 2
Function	First Officer
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Procedural Clearance

Narrative:

While in cruise at FL250 I thought I heard a clearance for our flight to climb to FL370. I read back '(company and flight number) climbing to FL370.' at FL265 ATC told us to level at FL260. We complied. I then heard ATC tell (another airline same call sign) to climb to FL370. I confirmed with ATC that there was another airline with the same flight number on our frequency. ATC confirmed that there was and then cleared us to continue our climb. There was no conversation to confirm it; but I think we took the other flight's climb clearance; but our readback of our company and flight number climbing to FL370 was not caught and corrected by ATC. When he saw us climbing he had us stop the climb at FL260 and then had the other flight climb to FL370.ATC should always make flight crews aware when they check on to the frequency that there is another aircraft with the same flight number. Even after doing so they should listen to all readbacks to ensure the correct flight responds.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC failed to advise flight crews of the presence of two flights with identical flight numbers on the frequency. Subsequently one flight accepted the climb clearance intended for the other and the Radar Controller had to correct the resulting conflict.

Narrative: While in cruise at FL250 I thought I heard a clearance for our flight to climb to FL370. I read back '(Company and flight number) climbing to FL370.' At FL265 ATC told us to level at FL260. We complied. I then heard ATC tell (another airline same call sign) to climb to FL370. I confirmed with ATC that there was another airline with the same flight number on our frequency. ATC confirmed that there was and then cleared us to continue our climb. There was no conversation to confirm it; but I think we took the other flight's climb clearance; but our readback of our company and flight number climbing to FL370 was not caught and corrected by ATC. When he saw us climbing he had us stop the climb at FL260 and then had the other flight climb to FL370.ATC should always make flight crews aware when they check on to the frequency that there is another aircraft with the same flight number. Even after doing so they should listen to all readbacks to ensure the correct flight responds.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

ATC failed to advise flight crews of the presence of two flights with identical flight numbers on the frequency. Subsequently one flight accepted the climb clearance intended for the other and the radar controller had to correct the resulting conflict.