Narrative:

2 commuter small transport's were holding short on parallel runways. Both were #1 for takeoff on their assigned runways. The 2 airplanes had similar call signs (company ahef holding short of 22R, this was the airplane that I was in, and company ahhf holding short of 22L). Ahhf was given a takeoff clearance on 22L and I thought it was our airplane ahef that was cleared for takeoff on 22R. I read back the takeoff clearance verbatim, 'cleared fot takeoff on 22R, turn right to 090 degrees company ahef.' there was no acknowledgement from the tower, so we took off and ahhf took off on 22L about 1 min before us. There was no conflict or evasive action needed, but in any case we did takeoff west/O a clearance. My captain helped cause the problem because during the critical phase of flight, when there should have been no talking in the cockpit except checklist items while we were holding short, he was teaching me and quizzing me since I'm a new first officer . I think a good solution to the problem would be to more strictly enforce the critical phase of flight quiet period and only talk about checklist items and crew duties and also try not to have flts with similar call signs depart at the same time. Supplemental information from acn 103135: tower supervisor asked me to call tower at destination. I called. He said he was working with local controller at the time of our departure and had to call O'hare to coordinate a handoff and after finishing with O'hare saw us depart on 22R. I was answering a question from my first officer in respect to takeoff procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER SMA UNAUTH TKOF IN RESPONSE TO WRONG CALL SIGN WITH SIMILAR A/N, SAME A/N.

Narrative: 2 COMMUTER SMT'S WERE HOLDING SHORT ON PARALLEL RWYS. BOTH WERE #1 FOR TKOF ON THEIR ASSIGNED RWYS. THE 2 AIRPLANES HAD SIMILAR CALL SIGNS (COMPANY AHEF HOLDING SHORT OF 22R, THIS WAS THE AIRPLANE THAT I WAS IN, AND COMPANY AHHF HOLDING SHORT OF 22L). AHHF WAS GIVEN A TKOF CLRNC ON 22L AND I THOUGHT IT WAS OUR AIRPLANE AHEF THAT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON 22R. I READ BACK THE TKOF CLRNC VERBATIM, 'CLRED FOT TKOF ON 22R, TURN RIGHT TO 090 DEGS COMPANY AHEF.' THERE WAS NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE TWR, SO WE TOOK OFF AND AHHF TOOK OFF ON 22L ABOUT 1 MIN BEFORE US. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT OR EVASIVE ACTION NEEDED, BUT IN ANY CASE WE DID TKOF W/O A CLRNC. MY CAPT HELPED CAUSE THE PROB BECAUSE DURING THE CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT, WHEN THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NO TALKING IN THE COCKPIT EXCEPT CHKLIST ITEMS WHILE WE WERE HOLDING SHORT, HE WAS TEACHING ME AND QUIZZING ME SINCE I'M A NEW F/O . I THINK A GOOD SOLUTION TO THE PROB WOULD BE TO MORE STRICTLY ENFORCE THE CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT QUIET PERIOD AND ONLY TALK ABOUT CHKLIST ITEMS AND CREW DUTIES AND ALSO TRY NOT TO HAVE FLTS WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS DEPART AT THE SAME TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 103135: TWR SUPVR ASKED ME TO CALL TWR AT DEST. I CALLED. HE SAID HE WAS WORKING WITH LCL CTLR AT THE TIME OF OUR DEP AND HAD TO CALL O'HARE TO COORDINATE A HDOF AND AFTER FINISHING WITH O'HARE SAW US DEPART ON 22R. I WAS ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM MY F/O IN RESPECT TO TKOF PROC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.