CL65 FLT CREW INBOUND TO DFW ACCEPTS FREQ CHANGE FOR SIMILAR SOUNDING ACFT.
Synopsis
CL65 FLT CREW INBOUND TO DFW ACCEPTS FREQ CHANGE FOR SIMILAR SOUNDING ACFT.
Narrative
ON THE CETUS ARR INTO DTW; ATC STATED TO EXPECT A SHORT VECTOR FOR SPACING. WE WERE APCHING CETUS WHEN WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FLY OUR PRESENT HEADING. APPROX 30 SECONDS PRIOR TO CETUS; WE RECEIVED A HDOF TO THE NEXT APCH CTLR. DUE TO HVY RADIO CONGESTION; INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE NEW CTLR WAS DIFFICULT. DURING THE TIME WHILE TRYING TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT; WE MAINTAINED PRESENT HEADING AS PREVIOUSLY INSTRUCTED; WHICH CAUSED US TO FLY PAST CETUS N OF THE ARR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE NEW CTLR WHO SAID 'THE LAST CTLR NEEDS TO TALK TO YOU' AFTER RETURNING TO THE PREVIOUS FREQ; THE CTLR STATED THAT HE NEVER HANDED US OFF. IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT WE HAD INDEED BEEN HANDED OFF. WE CONTINUED THE ARR INTO DTW WITH NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. I THINK THIS SIT OCCURRED DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION AND THE CTLR'S RAPID ISSUANCE OF INSTRUCTIONS. THE HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE SIT WERE: 1) CALL SIGN SIMILARITIES; 2) VOLUME OF AIR TFC ON THE FREQ; AND 3) HIGH WORKLOAD OF THE CTLR; AND HIS RAPID ISSUANCE OF INSTRUCTIONS. THIS SIT MIGHT BE PREVENTED IN THE FUTURE IF OUR COMPANY VARIED CALL SIGN PREFIXES. ADD AN EXTRA CTLR TO THE ARR SO EACH ONE WORKS LESS ACFT ESPECIALLY DURING HIGH VOLUME TIMES. MORE CLR AND CONCISE INSTRUCTIONS FROM CTLRS.
More incidents for this aircraft family →
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.