Narrative:

As first officer on flight, msp-rhi, may, I called for my clearance to rhi. Controller read back, 'identification cleared to rhinelander minneapolis 3 departure then as filed, maintain 5000', departure 120.0, squawk XXXX.' later, we were obviously next in line for departure runway 11L. Tower said, 'identification runway 11L, position and hold.' I read back, 'identification runway 11L, position and hold.' moments later, tower said, 'identification (sounded like identification), runway 11L, turn right heading 150 degree, cleared for takeoff'. At that point, we probably should have questioned the number, but since the clearance was obviously for us, I read back, 'identification runway 11L, heading 150 degree, cleared for takeoff.' at 400' AGL, tower said, identification right heading 150 degree, contact departure. I responded, identification then switched over. Departure 120.0 told us we should have been on 124.7 (contrary to our clearance), and I began to wonder why they wanted us on a southbound heading with southbound departure. I called, 'identification with you 2 for 5, heading 150.' they called back, is that identification Y. I stated that we were identification X. Then we were asked to verify our destination, which I reported as 'identification to rhi.' we were issued several more heading and altitude assignments, but we were unaware of any problem until msp center gave us a phone number. Per the captain's conversation with the on-duty supervisor, the supervisor said that we picked up a clearance for identification to alo. I am absolutely positive that this is not the case, as the clearance I wrote down began with 'rhi...' and had '...120.0...' as the departure frequency (as opposed to 124.7 which is always used for waterloo). The supervisor then stated, '...tell your copilot to listen up, and I'll tell my controller to listen up...' speculating, I believe that somehow msp clearance delivery read us identification X clearance, then somehow passed along Y's flight strip. It was unfortunate that we were airborne before the discrepancy was caught. We used 'identification X ' for all our xmissions (including readbacks), and I feel that possibly tower and ground did not notice the difference.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT CLRNC RESPONSE TO WRONG CALLSIGN.

Narrative: AS F/O ON FLT, MSP-RHI, MAY, I CALLED FOR MY CLRNC TO RHI. CTLR READ BACK, 'ID CLRED TO RHINELANDER MINNEAPOLIS 3 DEP THEN AS FILED, MAINTAIN 5000', DEP 120.0, SQUAWK XXXX.' LATER, WE WERE OBVIOUSLY NEXT IN LINE FOR DEP RWY 11L. TWR SAID, 'ID RWY 11L, POS AND HOLD.' I READ BACK, 'ID RWY 11L, POS AND HOLD.' MOMENTS LATER, TWR SAID, 'ID (SOUNDED LIKE ID), RWY 11L, TURN R HDG 150 DEG, CLRED FOR TKOF'. AT THAT POINT, WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE NUMBER, BUT SINCE THE CLRNC WAS OBVIOUSLY FOR US, I READ BACK, 'ID RWY 11L, HDG 150 DEG, CLRED FOR TKOF.' AT 400' AGL, TWR SAID, ID R HDG 150 DEG, CONTACT DEP. I RESPONDED, ID THEN SWITCHED OVER. DEP 120.0 TOLD US WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON 124.7 (CONTRARY TO OUR CLRNC), AND I BEGAN TO WONDER WHY THEY WANTED US ON A SBND HDG WITH SBND DEP. I CALLED, 'ID WITH YOU 2 FOR 5, HDG 150.' THEY CALLED BACK, IS THAT ID Y. I STATED THAT WE WERE ID X. THEN WE WERE ASKED TO VERIFY OUR DEST, WHICH I RPTED AS 'ID TO RHI.' WE WERE ISSUED SEVERAL MORE HDG AND ALT ASSIGNMENTS, BUT WE WERE UNAWARE OF ANY PROB UNTIL MSP CTR GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER. PER THE CAPT'S CONVERSATION WITH THE ON-DUTY SUPVR, THE SUPVR SAID THAT WE PICKED UP A CLRNC FOR ID TO ALO. I AM ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE, AS THE CLRNC I WROTE DOWN BEGAN WITH 'RHI...' AND HAD '...120.0...' AS THE DEP FREQ (AS OPPOSED TO 124.7 WHICH IS ALWAYS USED FOR WATERLOO). THE SUPVR THEN STATED, '...TELL YOUR COPLT TO LISTEN UP, AND I'LL TELL MY CTLR TO LISTEN UP...' SPECULATING, I BELIEVE THAT SOMEHOW MSP CLRNC DELIVERY READ US ID X CLRNC, THEN SOMEHOW PASSED ALONG Y'S FLT STRIP. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE WERE AIRBORNE BEFORE THE DISCREPANCY WAS CAUGHT. WE USED 'ID X ' FOR ALL OUR XMISSIONS (INCLUDING READBACKS), AND I FEEL THAT POSSIBLY TWR AND GND DID NOT NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE.

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.