No Aircraft
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Equipment / Tooling; Aircraft; Human Factors
En route Data Link with ATC: This has been reported on in the past and I have yet to see any information that we or the industry are addressing the issue. Every single Pilot I work with also sees the confusion; so I'm not sure if others are reporting or not.  My guess is not; as Pilots don't like to report issues especially when they think their ideas are unfortunately ignored. The difficulty again is that Boeing decided to use one particular 'chime' for the audio alert of an ATC message. Yes there is the small dot on the center screen and an alert message; but the chime is identical to what is expected with any ACARS notification. Almost every flight when having requested ACARS data and expecting a chime soon; but then receiving an ATC message instead; it is extremely easy to overlook the small ATC dot.  If the Pilot is busy with another task they are likely to come back to the perceived requested data when time allows; therefore potentially missing an ATC message.Most often it's merely a frequency change; but more and more frequently it is a routing clearance or a change of altitude.  Both of those last two messages could be flight critical if not responded to and acted upon relatively soon. The times I have been running ATIS; Gate; Landing Data and have gotten an ATC chime in the process is numerous. Yes we are professional Pilots and do our best; but it is ludicrous that a multi-million dollar aircraft in the year of 2020 has such an archaic notification system that will only be used more in the future. Let's take a case in point. Two professional Pilots with plenty of experience but a communication deficiency allow an aircraft to be destroyed along with the lives of XXX people. Here Boeing took the easy route of using one 'horn' for two vastly distinct purposes. Yes professional Pilots should not have had an issue here identifying the proper response but they DID. It took until March of 2011 for the FAA to act and still allowed Operators another three years to comply with the new 'light solution'.All parties need to understand that there is an immediate issue that needs to be addressed and get past corporate/government typical items that clog up a solution getting out in under a half a decade. Another audible way of notification when receiving an ATC message must be found whether it is a different chime tone or a spritz of water to the face. I know there is a solution out there.
Air carrier pilot reported that the 'chime' for the audio alert of an ATC message in Boeing aircraft; is identical to the ACARS notification.