Narrative:

The problem began when I copied my clearance. The tower and ground control functions were combined. I used my full call sign for clearance to taxi and was cleared to taxi to runway 31L. There was a short time duration so when I arrived I merely called in my flight # (air taxi bba). So I said bba ready in sequence. Tower acknowledged and then the wait began. Almost immediately afterward (within minutes) tower and ground separated to individual frequencys. I waited for approximately 30 mins because of WX and flooding. It seems that only one controller made it into dfw to work TRACON. During this time another carrier with similar call sign taxied out on ground control. That carrier was other bba. It happens that our 'strips' come up at exactly the same time unbeknownst to me. We at air taxi are usually airborne by early am and no conflict or contact had occurred before. On this occasion the WX kept everyone so they would not leave on schedule. Listening to the tapes of the morning revealed that air carrier bba taxied on ground control and when he switched to tower and called in he was blocked both times, once by company and once by someone else. Prior to that the tapes revealed that the controller gave permission for some air carrier flts to depart from runway 13R, bba was one of these. I had no further communication with the tower until the 'clearance to takeoff'. I monitored company frequency and they asked to know how long of a wait to expect for release. I tuned in clearance delivery 120.15 and monitored tower. I heard several corrective sigmets and WX precautions including a tornado sighting in my proposed flight path. Hearing this I called FSS (dal). When the briefer finished a phrase I heard the tower controller say 'bba cleared to takeoff'. Thinking that was me I left FSS and responded to tower 'bba is cleared to go'. Before entering the active runway, I asked for confirmation, 'confirm bba is cleared to go' (I might have said released). Tower responded 'affirmative bba is cleared for takeoff runway 13R'. I did not hear the runway 13R part however. Keep in mind that I am #1 for the runway 31L and other carrier bba is #1 for 13R. Neither of us realized that there was another bba besides ourselves, i.e., each thought there was only one bba. Upon entering the runway and beginning takeoff roll, I looked down to the opposite end of the runway and saw distant lights. They looked out of place so I aborted immediately and queried the controller as I decelerated 'what are those lights at the end of the runway'. My broadcasts and questions caught the attention of others including the other bba. He then aborted takeoff. I was asked to taxi back in line on 31L. One obvious way to correct these problems would be for the controller and pilot to use the full call sign when communicating. I used it for clearance and ground but neglected to use it when 'takeoff clearance' was given. Since the 'strips' are up at the same time, it would be helpful and should be required to inform the 2 pilots of possible conflicts. Another way is never let 2 pilots with similar call signs be put in opposite ends of the same runway without each being alerted of a conflict. When the WX is down and frequencys are congested like they were, it is inadvisable to allow opposite direction takeoffs unless everyone advised that this is occurring, i.e., it was not ATIS. In fact, it appeared to be a makeshift decision to allow them. I felt like I used good judgement in asking for confirmation to take off and especially in aborting takeoff when things did not look normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SAME FLT NUMBER AS CALL SIGN. DEPARTING OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAME RWY. ONE PLT NOTICED LIGHTS AT OTHER END, ABORTED AND ASKED TWR WHAT WAS THAT ON RWY?

Narrative: THE PROBLEM BEGAN WHEN I COPIED MY CLRNC. THE TWR AND GND CTL FUNCTIONS WERE COMBINED. I USED MY FULL CALL SIGN FOR CLRNC TO TAXI AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 31L. THERE WAS A SHORT TIME DURATION SO WHEN I ARRIVED I MERELY CALLED IN MY FLT # (AIR TAXI BBA). SO I SAID BBA READY IN SEQUENCE. TWR ACKNOWLEDGED AND THEN THE WAIT BEGAN. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD (WITHIN MINUTES) TWR AND GND SEPARATED TO INDIVIDUAL FREQS. I WAITED FOR APPROX 30 MINS BECAUSE OF WX AND FLOODING. IT SEEMS THAT ONLY ONE CTLR MADE IT INTO DFW TO WORK TRACON. DURING THIS TIME ANOTHER CARRIER WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN TAXIED OUT ON GND CTL. THAT CARRIER WAS OTHER BBA. IT HAPPENS THAT OUR 'STRIPS' COME UP AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME UNBEKNOWNST TO ME. WE AT AIR TAXI ARE USUALLY AIRBORNE BY EARLY AM AND NO CONFLICT OR CONTACT HAD OCCURRED BEFORE. ON THIS OCCASION THE WX KEPT EVERYONE SO THEY WOULD NOT LEAVE ON SCHEDULE. LISTENING TO THE TAPES OF THE MORNING REVEALED THAT ACR BBA TAXIED ON GND CTL AND WHEN HE SWITCHED TO TWR AND CALLED IN HE WAS BLOCKED BOTH TIMES, ONCE BY COMPANY AND ONCE BY SOMEONE ELSE. PRIOR TO THAT THE TAPES REVEALED THAT THE CTLR GAVE PERMISSION FOR SOME ACR FLTS TO DEPART FROM RWY 13R, BBA WAS ONE OF THESE. I HAD NO FURTHER COM WITH THE TWR UNTIL THE 'CLRNC TO TKOF'. I MONITORED COMPANY FREQ AND THEY ASKED TO KNOW HOW LONG OF A WAIT TO EXPECT FOR RELEASE. I TUNED IN CLRNC DELIVERY 120.15 AND MONITORED TWR. I HEARD SEVERAL CORRECTIVE SIGMETS AND WX PRECAUTIONS INCLUDING A TORNADO SIGHTING IN MY PROPOSED FLT PATH. HEARING THIS I CALLED FSS (DAL). WHEN THE BRIEFER FINISHED A PHRASE I HEARD THE TWR CTLR SAY 'BBA CLRED TO TKOF'. THINKING THAT WAS ME I LEFT FSS AND RESPONDED TO TWR 'BBA IS CLRED TO GO'. BEFORE ENTERING THE ACTIVE RWY, I ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION, 'CONFIRM BBA IS CLRED TO GO' (I MIGHT HAVE SAID RELEASED). TWR RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE BBA IS CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 13R'. I DID NOT HEAR THE RWY 13R PART HOWEVER. KEEP IN MIND THAT I AM #1 FOR THE RWY 31L AND OTHER CARRIER BBA IS #1 FOR 13R. NEITHER OF US REALIZED THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER BBA BESIDES OURSELVES, I.E., EACH THOUGHT THERE WAS ONLY ONE BBA. UPON ENTERING THE RWY AND BEGINNING TKOF ROLL, I LOOKED DOWN TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RWY AND SAW DISTANT LIGHTS. THEY LOOKED OUT OF PLACE SO I ABORTED IMMEDIATELY AND QUERIED THE CTLR AS I DECELERATED 'WHAT ARE THOSE LIGHTS AT THE END OF THE RWY'. MY BROADCASTS AND QUESTIONS CAUGHT THE ATTN OF OTHERS INCLUDING THE OTHER BBA. HE THEN ABORTED TKOF. I WAS ASKED TO TAXI BACK IN LINE ON 31L. ONE OBVIOUS WAY TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS WOULD BE FOR THE CTLR AND PLT TO USE THE FULL CALL SIGN WHEN COMMUNICATING. I USED IT FOR CLRNC AND GND BUT NEGLECTED TO USE IT WHEN 'TKOF CLRNC' WAS GIVEN. SINCE THE 'STRIPS' ARE UP AT THE SAME TIME, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO INFORM THE 2 PLTS OF POSSIBLE CONFLICTS. ANOTHER WAY IS NEVER LET 2 PLTS WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS BE PUT IN OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SAME RWY WITHOUT EACH BEING ALERTED OF A CONFLICT. WHEN THE WX IS DOWN AND FREQS ARE CONGESTED LIKE THEY WERE, IT IS INADVISABLE TO ALLOW OPPOSITE DIRECTION TKOFS UNLESS EVERYONE ADVISED THAT THIS IS OCCURRING, I.E., IT WAS NOT ATIS. IN FACT, IT APPEARED TO BE A MAKESHIFT DECISION TO ALLOW THEM. I FELT LIKE I USED GOOD JUDGEMENT IN ASKING FOR CONFIRMATION TO TAKE OFF AND ESPECIALLY IN ABORTING TKOF WHEN THINGS DID NOT LOOK NORMAL.

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.