Narrative:

We were taxiing out during a push at a major hub airport (dfw). During taxi out ground control seemed confused as to our call sign. Sometimes they referred to us as flight X26 (our correct flight #), and sometimes as flight Y46. Both #'south sound similar when spoken over the radio, contributing to the problem. The first officer continuously acknowledged our taxi instructions with the correct call sign. The problem arose when we were next in sequence and the tower controller said X26 when he cleared us into position, but it could have been interpreted as Y46. Then, tower cleared us for takeoff, but called us flight Y46. The first officer acknowledged the takeoff clearance and called our correct flight # to his attention. The controller became concerned about the call sign, so I held in position. He then stated that we were still cleared for takeoff. We proceeded uneventfully. On climb out, I checked a system time table and saw that there was a flight Y46 in the push, and apparently it was behind us in the sequence. I fault 3 parties here: we, the flight crew were convinced that the clrncs were meant for us and that the ground/tower people were misreading our strip. Second, the controllers should have listened more carefully to our acknowledgements. This would have alerted them to the problem. Third, the company should be more careful with similar call signs/flight #'south in the same push.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIMILAR A/N. TWR CTLR MISIDENTIFIED FLT.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING OUT DURING A PUSH AT A MAJOR HUB ARPT (DFW). DURING TAXI OUT GND CTL SEEMED CONFUSED AS TO OUR CALL SIGN. SOMETIMES THEY REFERRED TO US AS FLT X26 (OUR CORRECT FLT #), AND SOMETIMES AS FLT Y46. BOTH #'S SOUND SIMILAR WHEN SPOKEN OVER THE RADIO, CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROB. THE F/O CONTINUOUSLY ACKNOWLEDGED OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE CORRECT CALL SIGN. THE PROB AROSE WHEN WE WERE NEXT IN SEQUENCE AND THE TWR CTLR SAID X26 WHEN HE CLRED US INTO POS, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN INTERPRETED AS Y46. THEN, TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF, BUT CALLED US FLT Y46. THE F/O ACKNOWLEDGED THE TKOF CLRNC AND CALLED OUR CORRECT FLT # TO HIS ATTN. THE CTLR BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE CALL SIGN, SO I HELD IN POS. HE THEN STATED THAT WE WERE STILL CLRED FOR TKOF. WE PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY. ON CLBOUT, I CHKED A SYS TIME TABLE AND SAW THAT THERE WAS A FLT Y46 IN THE PUSH, AND APPARENTLY IT WAS BEHIND US IN THE SEQUENCE. I FAULT 3 PARTIES HERE: WE, THE FLT CREW WERE CONVINCED THAT THE CLRNCS WERE MEANT FOR US AND THAT THE GND/TWR PEOPLE WERE MISREADING OUR STRIP. SECOND, THE CTLRS SHOULD HAVE LISTENED MORE CAREFULLY TO OUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. THIS WOULD HAVE ALERTED THEM TO THE PROB. THIRD, THE COMPANY SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS/FLT #'S IN THE SAME PUSH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.