A flight instructor reported a near mid-air collision due to miscommunication by ATC. Reportedly the...

Attributes
ACN	1350965
Time
Date	201604
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Climb
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Climb
Person 1
Function	Instructor Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 30 Flight Crew Total 1346 Flight Crew Type 600
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict NMAC
Miss Distance	Horizontal 200 Vertical 0

Narrative:

While doing touch and go's another cessna took off on the parallel runway. The tower advised cessna [call sign] give way to the aircraft that just took off on [the parallel runway]. I did not listen to the instructions for my aircraft call sign was [different]. The cessna turned crosswind in front of me and it was not until the same cessna turned downwind that I realized that I might hit that plane. I took evasive action and went behind the aircraft and at the same time I called tower to let them know what was happening. The tower came back to me and told me did I not hear the instructions to follow the plane that I almost hit? My response was 'no' I never received instructions. After reviewing the voice communications on ATC live I found that in fact we did nothing wrong and the controller was the one that issued instructions to an incorrect aircraft. [This] is a very busy airport and at times there are 5-8 planes in the pattern so I am sure the controller gets very busy. Per 14CFR part 91.3 it is the PIC responsibility of the safety of the flight. I exercised 91.3 to make sure that we did not end up on the local news.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A flight instructor reported a near mid-air collision due to miscommunication by ATC. Reportedly the incorrect; but similar; aircraft registration number was used by ATC to issue instructions.

Narrative: While doing touch and go's another Cessna took off on the parallel runway. The tower advised Cessna [call sign] give way to the aircraft that just took off on [the parallel runway]. I did not listen to the instructions for my aircraft call sign was [different]. The Cessna turned crosswind in front of me and it was not until the same Cessna turned downwind that I realized that I might hit that plane. I took evasive action and went behind the aircraft and at the same time I called tower to let them know what was happening. The tower came back to me and told me did I not hear the instructions to follow the plane that I almost hit? My response was 'NO' I never received instructions. After reviewing the voice communications on ATC live I found that in fact we did nothing wrong and the controller was the one that issued instructions to an incorrect aircraft. [This] is a very busy airport and at times there are 5-8 planes in the pattern so I am sure the controller gets very busy. Per 14CFR part 91.3 it is the PIC responsibility of the safety of the flight. I exercised 91.3 to make sure that we did not end up on the local news.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.