Narrative:

We had been cleared to taxi into position and hold on runway 3 by the tower controller. I am sure he addressed us by the correct flight #. After a few mins he cleared us for takeoff, but he may have called us by another flight #. A flight which was due out nearly the same time but scheduled to hpn. It was the first officer's leg and I was working the radio. I did acknowledge takeoff clearance and may have repeated the wrong flight #. Once airborne the tower controller turned us over to departure, this time definitely calling us by the wrong flight # and again I acknowledged the same. When we checked in with departure I had the wrong flight # firmly in my mind and idented ourselves as such, the new controller being confused by this. What had happened became apparent, and the mixup was corrected. Although I'm sure the tower controller intended for our aircraft to launch, I should have immediately idented the discrepancy and corrected it before rolling. It really could have been takeoff clearance for the other flight which then would have been disastrous. Problem: sometimes cockpit resource management becomes sloppy when getting home is on the mind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR CTLR USED WRONG FLT # IN CLEARING MDT COMMUTER FLT FOR TKOF AT DCA. CAPT WORKING THE RADIOS ACKNOWLEDGED THE WRONG FLT # AND FO FLYING TOOK OFF. CAPT CHECKED IN WITH DEP CTLR WITH WRONG #. DEP CORRECTED THE SITUATION.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 3 BY THE TWR CTLR. I AM SURE HE ADDRESSED US BY THE CORRECT FLT #. AFTER A FEW MINS HE CLRED US FOR TKOF, BUT HE MAY HAVE CALLED US BY ANOTHER FLT #. A FLT WHICH WAS DUE OUT NEARLY THE SAME TIME BUT SCHEDULED TO HPN. IT WAS THE F/O'S LEG AND I WAS WORKING THE RADIO. I DID ACKNOWLEDGE TKOF CLRNC AND MAY HAVE REPEATED THE WRONG FLT #. ONCE AIRBORNE THE TWR CTLR TURNED US OVER TO DEP, THIS TIME DEFINITELY CALLING US BY THE WRONG FLT # AND AGAIN I ACKNOWLEDGED THE SAME. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH DEP I HAD THE WRONG FLT # FIRMLY IN MY MIND AND IDENTED OURSELVES AS SUCH, THE NEW CTLR BEING CONFUSED BY THIS. WHAT HAD HAPPENED BECAME APPARENT, AND THE MIXUP WAS CORRECTED. ALTHOUGH I'M SURE THE TWR CTLR INTENDED FOR OUR ACFT TO LAUNCH, I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY IDENTED THE DISCREPANCY AND CORRECTED IT BEFORE ROLLING. IT REALLY COULD HAVE BEEN TKOF CLRNC FOR THE OTHER FLT WHICH THEN WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. PROB: SOMETIMES COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT BECOMES SLOPPY WHEN GETTING HOME IS ON THE MIND.

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.