What happened
On June 28, 2014, an incident occurred within the Warsaw TMA (FIR EPWW) involving two aircraft of the same type and operator. The first aircraft, an Embraer 170 operating flight 3844 from Wrocław (EPWR) to Warsaw (EPWA), was instructed by the Warsaw Approach controller (DIR APP EPWA) to establish radio contact and descend to 4,000 feet. Simultaneously, a second Embraer 170 operating flight 3884 from Katowice (EPKT) to Warsaw (EPWA) was navigating near the LOGODA waypoint, where the crew was performing maneuvers to avoid thunderstorms.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation established that the crew of flight 3884 misidentified the radio communications intended for the other aircraft. The investigation focused on the interaction between the two flights operating under similar identifiers within the same controlled airspace.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was callsign confusion.
- The proximity of the two aircraft and their shared operator contributed to the error in identifying the correct callsign during radio transmissions.