ZNY ARTCC RADAR CTLR DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A SIMILAR CALL SIGN PROB AND ISSUES A DSCNT CLRNC TO THE WRONG ACFT.

Date: 2004-02 · Aircraft: DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: descent

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-excursion-from-assigned-altitude|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-similar-call-signs

Synopsis

ZNY ARTCC RADAR CTLR DOES NOT RECOGNIZE A SIMILAR CALL SIGN PROB AND ISSUES A DSCNT CLRNC TO THE WRONG ACFT.

Narrative

TALKING TO ZBW; THEY GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE TO ZNY (ALL 3 OF US HEARD IT CLRLY). WE CHKED IN 'ZNY; ACR X HVY....' HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND GAVE US A TURN TO THE S. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED. WE THEN ASKED FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION TO OUR PREVIOUS XING RESTR OF 7000 FT 25 DME N OF SPARTA. CTLR SEEMED SOMEWHAT CONFUSED BUT SAID 'JUST DSND TO 7000 FT.' WE WERE LISTENING TO 121.5 AND HEARD ZNY CALLING FOR A FLT 'ACR Y.' NEW YORK WAS ALSO CALLING 'ACR Y' ON OUR PARTICULAR FREQ -- TO NO AVAIL. WHEN ACR Y FINALLY DID CHK IN; THE CTLR ASKED THEM WHY THEY HAD LEFT THE FREQ. THEY REPLIED 'BOSTON JUST SWITCHED US OVER.' HE (CTLR) THEN SAID 'I THOUGHT I TALKED TO YOU EARLIER ABOUT THE XING RESTR 25 NM N OF SPARTA.' THERE WAS SILENCE. WE THEN SAID 'THAT WAS ACR X THAT HAD ASKED YOU.' THIS OBVIOUSLY CAUGHT HIM BY SURPRISE. HE ASKED FOR OUR POS. WE TOLD HIM THE 030 DEG RADIAL/30 DME FROM SPARTA DSNDING TO 7000 FT. HE THEN SAID 'OH; THAT'S THE PROB.' 'ACR X; YOU TOOK SOMEONE ELSE'S FREQ CHANGE/HDOF.' THIS SURPRISED US GREATLY SINCE WE HAD CLRLY CHKED IN WITH HIM VARIOUS TIMES AS 'ACR X HVY.' HE THEN GAVE US A TURN TO 270 DEGS. WE ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB. HE SAID NO. LATER HE CAME BACK AND SAID 'ACR X; IT'S NOT ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT; IT SEEMS BOSTON SWITCHED YOU EARLY BECAUSE ACR Y NEVER CAME OVER.' HE THEN CONCLUDED THAT IT HAD BEEN 'A COMEDY OF ERRORS.' WE ONCE AGAIN ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY PROB WHATSOEVER. HE SAID NOT AT ALL.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.