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Reporter states similar flight identifiers cause confusion of 2 flts, same airline, same equipment, departing same gate 1 minute apart. Same route for 50 miles.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 160525 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199010 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 160525 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Every day 2 flts depart sfo--one for stockton, ca, the other for modesto, ca. We taxi out of the same gate, at the same time, in the same type aircraft, along the same taxi route, to the same runway for departure. Then we depart within 1-2 mins of each other to the same altitude, along the same route of flight (sfo-oak-V244-eca). Only after eca VOR do we go different ways--one to stockton, the other to modesto. This would not be much of a problem except for the fact that we also have almost the exact same flight #! Stockton is flight xxy, and modesto is flight xxz. This has caused considerable confusion for controllers and pilots lately. Although no incidents or accidents have resulted, safety dictates that new flight #south be assigned to avoid confusion in the future that could result in an incident. I have made this recommendation, in writing, to both the company and the AOPA safety committee.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: REPORTER STATES SIMILAR FLT IDENTIFIERS CAUSE CONFUSION OF 2 FLTS, SAME AIRLINE, SAME EQUIPMENT, DEPARTING SAME GATE 1 MINUTE APART. SAME ROUTE FOR 50 MILES.
Narrative: EVERY DAY 2 FLTS DEPART SFO--ONE FOR STOCKTON, CA, THE OTHER FOR MODESTO, CA. WE TAXI OUT OF THE SAME GATE, AT THE SAME TIME, IN THE SAME TYPE ACFT, ALONG THE SAME TAXI RTE, TO THE SAME RWY FOR DEP. THEN WE DEPART WITHIN 1-2 MINS OF EACH OTHER TO THE SAME ALT, ALONG THE SAME RTE OF FLT (SFO-OAK-V244-ECA). ONLY AFTER ECA VOR DO WE GO DIFFERENT WAYS--ONE TO STOCKTON, THE OTHER TO MODESTO. THIS WOULD NOT BE MUCH OF A PROB EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT WE ALSO HAVE ALMOST THE EXACT SAME FLT #! STOCKTON IS FLT XXY, AND MODESTO IS FLT XXZ. THIS HAS CAUSED CONSIDERABLE CONFUSION FOR CTLRS AND PLTS LATELY. ALTHOUGH NO INCIDENTS OR ACCIDENTS HAVE RESULTED, SAFETY DICTATES THAT NEW FLT #S BE ASSIGNED TO AVOID CONFUSION IN THE FUTURE THAT COULD RESULT IN AN INCIDENT. I HAVE MADE THIS RECOMMENDATION, IN WRITING, TO BOTH THE COMPANY AND THE AOPA SAFETY COMMITTEE.
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.