EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Total 5200; Flight Crew Type 1200
Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
While descending on a 010 heading to the west of the 35 LOC when we were told we were 5 miles from James and cleared for the Converging ILS 35. Another ERJ170 aircraft was in front of us and had been previously cleared for the approach; however; they were approaching from the east while we came from the west of the localizer. They read back our approach clearance before we could respond. The Controller then issued another aircraft an instruction. Both the Captain and I realized the wrong aircraft had read back the clearance but either the other airplane or the Controller realized their mistake. Before we could query the Controller she saw that we would end up too close to the other aircraft (there was no immediate conflict) and moved us over to 30L before we could inquire of the misread instructions. Both Controllers and pilots need to insure that they are reading back the correct clearance. The other aircraft also should have realized they already had a clearance and the heading did not make sense for an aircraft arriving from the east.
An ERJ170 pilot reported that another ERJ170 pilot mistakenly acknowledged and began flying a clearance to MSP Runway 30 which created a conflict quickly recognized by ATC who then issued the Reporter a new clearance.