Narrative:

Departure runway issued to us, air carrier bbd, was 22L with final destination of dtw. Initial heading after departure was to turn right to 320 degrees. Subsequently ATC gave us a right turn to 140 degrees (which is the normal departure heading issued when departing runway 22L). Neither the captain nor I questioned the clearance to 140 degrees because we had already been given an unusual heading after takeoff which brought us directly over the airport, and we thought the 140 degree heading was a correction for traffic. We both obviously thought that the clearance was for us, bbd. At 5000' and turning through 90 degrees for 140 degrees, the controller asked our heading, which we told him. He said to turn left immediately to 290 degrees, which we did. Subsequently, we heard controller instructions for a company 10 bd, and can only guess that the 140 degree heading was originally for him. Of course, we're not sure that the controller didn't make a mistake and say bbd, but the controller obviously felt that we had made the mistake and told us to, 'listen up in the future.' since I don't have access to the ATC tapes, I'm not able to say exactly what was said. But, I guess we could have listened up better--but it's very difficult to distinguish between bbd and 10 bd in a noisy cockpit. This was a similar enough sounding call sign that I believe some effort should be made to distinguish between them. Supplemental information from acn 172820: flight #south should be read read digit by digit and warnings should be issued for similar sounding call signs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HEADING DEVIATION IN RESPONSE TO WRONG CALL SIGN FOR RADAR VECTORS OUT OF ORD.

Narrative: DEP RWY ISSUED TO US, ACR BBD, WAS 22L WITH FINAL DEST OF DTW. INITIAL HDG AFTER DEP WAS TO TURN RIGHT TO 320 DEGS. SUBSEQUENTLY ATC GAVE US A RIGHT TURN TO 140 DEGS (WHICH IS THE NORMAL DEP HDG ISSUED WHEN DEPARTING RWY 22L). NEITHER THE CAPT NOR I QUESTIONED THE CLRNC TO 140 DEGS BECAUSE WE HAD ALREADY BEEN GIVEN AN UNUSUAL HDG AFTER TKOF WHICH BROUGHT US DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT, AND WE THOUGHT THE 140 DEG HDG WAS A CORRECTION FOR TFC. WE BOTH OBVIOUSLY THOUGHT THAT THE CLRNC WAS FOR US, BBD. AT 5000' AND TURNING THROUGH 90 DEGS FOR 140 DEGS, THE CTLR ASKED OUR HDG, WHICH WE TOLD HIM. HE SAID TO TURN LEFT IMMEDIATELY TO 290 DEGS, WHICH WE DID. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE HEARD CTLR INSTRUCTIONS FOR A COMPANY 10 BD, AND CAN ONLY GUESS THAT THE 140 DEG HDG WAS ORIGINALLY FOR HIM. OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT SURE THAT THE CTLR DIDN'T MAKE A MISTAKE AND SAY BBD, BUT THE CTLR OBVIOUSLY FELT THAT WE HAD MADE THE MISTAKE AND TOLD US TO, 'LISTEN UP IN THE FUTURE.' SINCE I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE ATC TAPES, I'M NOT ABLE TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID. BUT, I GUESS WE COULD HAVE LISTENED UP BETTER--BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH BTWN BBD AND 10 BD IN A NOISY COCKPIT. THIS WAS A SIMILAR ENOUGH SOUNDING CALL SIGN THAT I BELIEVE SOME EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO DISTINGUISH BTWN THEM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 172820: FLT #S SHOULD BE READ READ DIGIT BY DIGIT AND WARNINGS SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS.

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.