AN SMA PLT ANSWERED TO THE WRONG CALL SIGN; THEN HAD TO EVADE A PARACHUTE. CLRNC REPLY TO WRONG CALL SIGN.
Synopsis
AN SMA PLT ANSWERED TO THE WRONG CALL SIGN; THEN HAD TO EVADE A PARACHUTE. CLRNC REPLY TO WRONG CALL SIGN.
Narrative
MY PAX AND I WERE ON AN IFR CLRNC TO A SMALL ARPT E OF PAINE FIELD; UNDERLYING THE SEATTLE TCA'S 6000 FT FLOOR. HARVEY FIELD (OUR DEST) IS 7 MI ON THE 076 DEG RADIAL OF THE FIELD LOCATED PAINE VOR. I WAS ISSUED A HDG OF 070 DEGS APPROX 20 MI W OF OUR DEST AND ALLOWED TO DSND AT MY DISCRETION (TO NO SPECIFIED ALT). ATC THEN REQUESTED I CHANGE TO CTR FREQ 128.5. WE RPTED UP ON FREQ AND WERE ACKNOWLEDGED. AT APPROX 5 MI W OF PAINE FIELD; I WAS REQUESTED TO CHANGE TO PAINE TWR 121.3. AS IS MY PRACTICE; I ACKNOWLEDGED MY CALL SIGN AND THE NEW FREQ AND WROTE DOWN THE FREQ ON A LIST; AND WAITED. AT LEAST 15 SECONDS PASSED BEFORE I SWITCHED TO 121.3; AND NO REPLY TO THE CONTRARY WAS HEARD DURING THIS PERIOD. PAINE TWR'S CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY; ISSUING NON-STOP INSTRUCTIONS TO ACFT AND; AS SEVERAL MINUTES PASSED WITH NO OPENING AVAILABLE TO RPT; I BECAME CONCERNED; AS I WAS PASSING NEAR PAINE FIELD ON THE 070 DEG COURSE. I THEN TRIED TO CALL ZSE ON 128.5 BRIEFLY; BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH PAINE TWR AND STATED I WAS IFR TO HARVEY FIELD; BUT WAS TOLD TO STANDBY; BEFORE I COULD REQUEST CANCELLATION OF MY IFR FLT PLAN. AT THIS TIME; WE SPOTTED A PARACHUTIST APPROX 1000 FT ABOVE AND 2000 FT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. (OUR VFR SECTIONAL DEPICTED THIS AS A PARACHUTE AREA). I IMMEDIATELY TURNED N; AND WHILE MONITORING PAINE TWR; TRIED AGAIN TO CONTACT CTR ON 128.5. THIS TIME CTR RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY AND INFORMED ME THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH ME FOR 7 MI; AND THAT I HAD NOT STAYED ON MY 070 DEG COURSE. I REPLIED THAT I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION I WAS TO CONTACT PAINE TWR. I WAS TOLD I HAD TAKEN 'SOMEONE ELSE'S CALL.' I STATED THAT I HAD WANTED TO CANCEL MY IFR. THE CTLR CANCELED MY IFR PLAN AT THAT TIME. I DID NOT MENTION THE PARACHUTIST; OR ARGUE WITH THE CTLR OVER THE ISSUE OF THE FREQ CHANGE INSTRUCTION IN QUESTION. BOTH MY PAX AND I ARE CERTAIN WE HEARD THE CALL; AND SINCE THERE WAS NO REPLY WHEN I REPEATED BACK MY CALL SIGN AND THE NEW FREQ; I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE WE ACTED PROPERLY. AS WE APCHED THE OCCUPIED PARACHUTE AREA; WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DEVIATE TO AVOID A POTENTIAL DISASTER. IT IS APPARENT THAT THE PAINE TWR CTLR WAS OVERLOADED. IF I DID MISINTERPRET THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM CTR; AND THE CTR CTLR DID NOT HEAR MY CONFIRMING REPLY; IT WOULD SEEM REASONABLE THAT I SHOULD AT LEAST BE ABLE TO MAKE MEANINGFUL CONTACT WITH THE NEXT FREQ. I HAVE ALSO CONSIDERED MY ACTIONS IN THIS MATTER; NOT EXCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY THAT I DID TAKE ANOTHER PERSON'S CALL. IF THIS WERE TRUE; HOW WILL I PREVENT IT IN THE FUTURE? WHAT WOULD I DO IF IT WERE IMC; WITH NEARBY RISING TERRAIN? THE ATC SYS CANNOT VERIFY EVERY REPLY TO THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. IF UNABLE TO COM WITH THE PERCEIVED NEXT FREQ WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME; I WILL RECONTACT MY PRIOR FREQ FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.