Narrative:

We were holding in position on 27L and an air carrier mdt was holding short on the 9R high speed exit to the branch taxiway. The tower cleared 'air carrier yz' for takeoff and I put on the landing lights while the first officer applied power, bringing the #2 engine in slower (crosswind takeoff technique in large transport). While I was checking the airspeed and EPR setting, the second officer called out 'air carrier xyz taxiing onto our runway.' speed was approximately 70 KTS and I aborted the takeoff. When air carrier xyz queried the tower, they stated they heard air carrier xyz cleared for takeoff and read it back, which must have been the same time I keyed the microphone and acknowledged 'air carrier yz cleared for takeoff.' this is another example of a major problem of aircraft with similar call signs. Perhaps industry should get together and assign blocks of numbers unique to each carrier. Perhaps the controller could also confirm the takeoff confirmation of the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 125750: air carrier yz was told to taxi into position and hold 27L, traffic landing 23L. Air carrier yz was in position approximately 4 mins. In the meantime, air carrier xyz (an mdt) taxied to the branch for intersection departure. (I discussed this at the time with my trainer, saying I didn't like this type of intersection departure, especially as there was no need for it.) I cleared air carrier yz for takeoff, fly heading 270 degrees. Air carrier yz replied 'air carrier yz rolling 270.' my trainer and I both heard the same slight scratch in his reply--it just sounded like slight static. My attention was on a helicopter when someone overrode the helicopter, saying something about runway. Upon turning around and inquiring, air carrier yz said he was aborting because of air carrier xyz on runway. Using tape for review: the first part of my transmission was 'yz cleared for takeoff.' air carrier yz reply came through, and now that I know what happened, that slight static must have been air carrier xyz replying. Causes factors: pilot inattn; clipped transmission--I feel that this is due to old system (many other xmissions with other controllers on same position also clipped, FAA checking lag time); similar call signs; tower layout; and use of an intersection departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR SMT REPLIES TO WRONG BUT SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN, AND TAXIS INTO POSITION FOR TKOF AS ANOTHER ACR LGT WHO HAD ANSWERED CORRECTLY TO HIS FLT NUMBER HAS TO ABORT THE TKOF AT 70 KTS. SMT ENTERED RWY FROM INTXN AHEAD OF LGT.

Narrative: WE WERE HOLDING IN POS ON 27L AND AN ACR MDT WAS HOLDING SHORT ON THE 9R HIGH SPD EXIT TO THE BRANCH TXWY. THE TWR CLRED 'ACR YZ' FOR TKOF AND I PUT ON THE LNDG LIGHTS WHILE THE F/O APPLIED PWR, BRINGING THE #2 ENG IN SLOWER (XWIND TKOF TECHNIQUE IN LGT). WHILE I WAS CHKING THE AIRSPD AND EPR SETTING, THE S/O CALLED OUT 'ACR XYZ TAXIING ONTO OUR RWY.' SPD WAS APPROX 70 KTS AND I ABORTED THE TKOF. WHEN ACR XYZ QUERIED THE TWR, THEY STATED THEY HEARD ACR XYZ CLRED FOR TKOF AND READ IT BACK, WHICH MUST HAVE BEEN THE SAME TIME I KEYED THE MIC AND ACKNOWLEDGED 'ACR YZ CLRED FOR TKOF.' THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A MAJOR PROB OF ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. PERHAPS INDUSTRY SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND ASSIGN BLOCKS OF NUMBERS UNIQUE TO EACH CARRIER. PERHAPS THE CTLR COULD ALSO CONFIRM THE TKOF CONFIRMATION OF THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 125750: ACR YZ WAS TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD 27L, TFC LNDG 23L. ACR YZ WAS IN POS APPROX 4 MINS. IN THE MEANTIME, ACR XYZ (AN MDT) TAXIED TO THE BRANCH FOR INTXN DEP. (I DISCUSSED THIS AT THE TIME WITH MY TRAINER, SAYING I DIDN'T LIKE THIS TYPE OF INTXN DEP, ESPECIALLY AS THERE WAS NO NEED FOR IT.) I CLRED ACR YZ FOR TKOF, FLY HDG 270 DEGS. ACR YZ REPLIED 'ACR YZ ROLLING 270.' MY TRAINER AND I BOTH HEARD THE SAME SLIGHT SCRATCH IN HIS REPLY--IT JUST SOUNDED LIKE SLIGHT STATIC. MY ATTN WAS ON A HELI WHEN SOMEONE OVERRODE THE HELI, SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT RWY. UPON TURNING AROUND AND INQUIRING, ACR YZ SAID HE WAS ABORTING BECAUSE OF ACR XYZ ON RWY. USING TAPE FOR REVIEW: THE FIRST PART OF MY XMISSION WAS 'YZ CLRED FOR TKOF.' ACR YZ REPLY CAME THROUGH, AND NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, THAT SLIGHT STATIC MUST HAVE BEEN ACR XYZ REPLYING. CAUSES FACTORS: PLT INATTN; CLIPPED XMISSION--I FEEL THAT THIS IS DUE TO OLD SYS (MANY OTHER XMISSIONS WITH OTHER CTLRS ON SAME POS ALSO CLIPPED, FAA CHKING LAG TIME); SIMILAR CALL SIGNS; TWR LAYOUT; AND USE OF AN INTXN DEP.

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.