Narrative:

Small aircraft a (position 2) advised ground she was ready to taxi. Ground cleared her to taxi to orange cones marking modified departure point for runway 9. Immediately afterward, I advised ground I was a same model small aircraft (aircraft B) on north side of runway 9 at fly-in area (position 1) ready for taxi to runway 9, but southbound, with tango. Ground immediately replied to taxi to runway 9, but replied with a similar but incorrect call sign. I had heard no one else transmitting, so I assumed he meant me. I 'rogered' the clearance, restated my correct call sign to him, and pulled onto the inactive portion of runway 9. At this point, I was in front of cherokee a, who had been held up by the eaa flagman while I was pulling onto the runway. There were no other aircraft in front of me at that time. As I was taxiing, ground called me by the incorrect call sign again and advised me to hold short of 32 while a flyby aircraft (I believe he said it was unexpected) completed a low pass over 32. I 'rogered' the instruction, and for the second time advised him what my correct call sign was, but this time I also advised him that I was the 'red and white aircraft.' at this point, I was the lead aircraft (position 3) in front of aircraft a (position 4). Aircraft a was a pastel color, either blue or beige, and I hoped this would help ground distinguish me. At that time, I was not aware of any aircraft taxiing to runway 9 other than mine and the lady in aircraft a. When the low pass aircraft had departed 32, I continued my taxi to run-up point behind and slightly to the left of the orange cones marking the end of runway 9 (position 5). Aircraft a followed and performed her run-up behind me (position 6). She then advised tower she was ready at runway 9, 'behind the red and white aircraft'. I immediately advised tower I was the red and white aircraft, ready at runway 9, and gave him my call sign. Tower responded immediately with a clearance to takeoff, but again used the incorrect tail number he had used twice before in responding to my xmissions. Since I was first in line at runway 9, I assumed he meant me, I 'rogered' the clearance, restated my correct call sign for the third time, and began my takeoff roll. At approximately 50' AGL the lady in aircraft a advised tower I had departed west/O a clearance. Tower called me (this time by my correct call sign) and advised me I did not have a takeoff clearance. I responded that he had given me clearance, and he replied that there were two aircraft waiting for takeoff clearance at runway 9 in front of me. There was no further communication between us from that point. I also never heard the call sign used by the tower again that I thought he had been confusing mine with (I don't remember it, but it was very close to mine). Because of the confusion at takeoff, and because I received no further instructions from the tower, I was especially attentive to his communications with other arriving and departing aircraft, as well as to the surrounding airspace. My climb out and departure from the air traffic area was safe and uneventful. Analysis. Neither ground nor tower ever used my correct call sign, or even acknowledged my 3 responses to correct them. If there was another aircraft in the area with the tail number I thought was being confused with mine, I never heard him transmit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CALL SIGN CONFUSION DURING AIRSHOW DEPS CAUSES TKOF WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: SMA A (POS 2) ADVISED GND SHE WAS READY TO TAXI. GND CLRED HER TO TAXI TO ORANGE CONES MARKING MODIFIED DEP POINT FOR RWY 9. IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD, I ADVISED GND I WAS A SAME MODEL SMA (ACFT B) ON N SIDE OF RWY 9 AT FLY-IN AREA (POS 1) READY FOR TAXI TO RWY 9, BUT SBND, WITH TANGO. GND IMMEDIATELY REPLIED TO TAXI TO RWY 9, BUT REPLIED WITH A SIMILAR BUT INCORRECT CALL SIGN. I HAD HEARD NO ONE ELSE XMITTING, SO I ASSUMED HE MEANT ME. I 'ROGERED' THE CLRNC, RESTATED MY CORRECT CALL SIGN TO HIM, AND PULLED ONTO THE INACTIVE PORTION OF RWY 9. AT THIS POINT, I WAS IN FRONT OF CHEROKEE A, WHO HAD BEEN HELD UP BY THE EAA FLAGMAN WHILE I WAS PULLING ONTO THE RWY. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF ME AT THAT TIME. AS I WAS TAXIING, GND CALLED ME BY THE INCORRECT CALL SIGN AGAIN AND ADVISED ME TO HOLD SHORT OF 32 WHILE A FLYBY ACFT (I BELIEVE HE SAID IT WAS UNEXPECTED) COMPLETED A LOW PASS OVER 32. I 'ROGERED' THE INSTRUCTION, AND FOR THE SEC TIME ADVISED HIM WHAT MY CORRECT CALL SIGN WAS, BUT THIS TIME I ALSO ADVISED HIM THAT I WAS THE 'RED AND WHITE ACFT.' AT THIS POINT, I WAS THE LEAD ACFT (POS 3) IN FRONT OF ACFT A (POS 4). ACFT A WAS A PASTEL COLOR, EITHER BLUE OR BEIGE, AND I HOPED THIS WOULD HELP GND DISTINGUISH ME. AT THAT TIME, I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY ACFT TAXIING TO RWY 9 OTHER THAN MINE AND THE LADY IN ACFT A. WHEN THE LOW PASS ACFT HAD DEPARTED 32, I CONTINUED MY TAXI TO RUN-UP POINT BEHIND AND SLIGHTLY TO THE L OF THE ORANGE CONES MARKING THE END OF RWY 9 (POS 5). ACFT A FOLLOWED AND PERFORMED HER RUN-UP BEHIND ME (POS 6). SHE THEN ADVISED TWR SHE WAS READY AT RWY 9, 'BEHIND THE RED AND WHITE ACFT'. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED TWR I WAS THE RED AND WHITE ACFT, READY AT RWY 9, AND GAVE HIM MY CALL SIGN. TWR RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY WITH A CLRNC TO TKOF, BUT AGAIN USED THE INCORRECT TAIL NUMBER HE HAD USED TWICE BEFORE IN RESPONDING TO MY XMISSIONS. SINCE I WAS FIRST IN LINE AT RWY 9, I ASSUMED HE MEANT ME, I 'ROGERED' THE CLRNC, RESTATED MY CORRECT CALL SIGN FOR THE THIRD TIME, AND BEGAN MY TKOF ROLL. AT APPROX 50' AGL THE LADY IN ACFT A ADVISED TWR I HAD DEPARTED W/O A CLRNC. TWR CALLED ME (THIS TIME BY MY CORRECT CALL SIGN) AND ADVISED ME I DID NOT HAVE A TKOF CLRNC. I RESPONDED THAT HE HAD GIVEN ME CLRNC, AND HE REPLIED THAT THERE WERE TWO ACFT WAITING FOR TKOF CLRNC AT RWY 9 IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WAS NO FURTHER COM BTWN US FROM THAT POINT. I ALSO NEVER HEARD THE CALL SIGN USED BY THE TWR AGAIN THAT I THOUGHT HE HAD BEEN CONFUSING MINE WITH (I DON'T REMEMBER IT, BUT IT WAS VERY CLOSE TO MINE). BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSION AT TKOF, AND BECAUSE I RECEIVED NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR, I WAS ESPECIALLY ATTENTIVE TO HIS COMS WITH OTHER ARRIVING AND DEPARTING ACFT, AS WELL AS TO THE SURROUNDING AIRSPACE. MY CLBOUT AND DEP FROM THE ATA WAS SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL. ANALYSIS. NEITHER GND NOR TWR EVER USED MY CORRECT CALL SIGN, OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED MY 3 RESPONSES TO CORRECT THEM. IF THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT IN THE AREA WITH THE TAIL NUMBER I THOUGHT WAS BEING CONFUSED WITH MINE, I NEVER HEARD HIM XMIT.

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.