AN LTT CREW IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE FAA FOR POSSIBLY LEAVING AN ALT WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative

WE WERE LEVEL AT 16000 FT PROCEEDING DIRECT LANCASTER WHEN WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT NY CTR CTLR. I CHKED IN AND WAS GIVEN A DSCNT CLRNC TO 10000 FT WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. OTHER XMISSIONS TO AND FROM NY CTR COULD BE HEARD ON THE FREQ. THE NEXT XMISSION TO US WAS A NORMAL FREQ CHANGE TO BALTIMORE APP. BALTIMORE ADVISED US THAT NY CTR HAD A TELEPHONE NUMBER. THEY WANTED US TO CALL WHEN WE LANDED. WHEN WE CALLED; CTR SAID THEY DID NOT GIVE US A DSCNT CLRNC AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT FREQ WE WERE ON; AND THAT WE PASSED THROUGH 3 SECTORS. WHAT I FEEL MAY HAVE HAPPENED IS I DIALED IN THE WRONG FREQ; CHKED IN; AND AN ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN GOT THE DSCNT CLRNC. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND NO ONE QUESTIONED IT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT FREQ WE WERE ON. WHY WE WERE LATER HANDED OFF BY NY CTR IN A COMPLETELY NORMAL MANNER; (THEY DIDN'T QUESTION OUR ALT) REMAINS A MYSTERY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 217825: I CALLED NY CTR WHEN I GOT TO DCA AND TALKED TO A MR Y AND HE SAID WHAT HAPPENED? I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. WE HAD NO PROBLEMS ON OUR FLT. EVERYTHING WAS FINE. HE SAID I WENT FROM 16000 TO 10000 FT WITHOUT A CLRNC. I THEN TOLD HIM I WANTED HIM TO PULL THE TAPES AND FIND THE PROBLEM. I GOT BACK TO MR Y LATER IN THE DAY. HE SAID HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING TO BACK UP WHAT I SAID. I THEN ASKED HIM IF ANYONE HAD BEEN GIVEN A DSCNT TO 10000? HE SAID THAT WAS NOT NORMALLY DONE. I ASKED HIM AGAIN AND HE WOULD NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION. HE MADE THE COMMENT I WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ. I REPLIED IF I WAS; HOW WAS I HANDED OFF TO BWI APCH AND HE DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR ME. I FEEL THAT 1 PERSON WAS WORKING MORE THAN 1 SECTOR AND THE SECTORS WERE BROKEN UP AND I WAS LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.