Narrative:

Incident occurred on ground control frequency. Atx X, an light transport, called ground control frequency and requested taxi clearance. Runway 04 was in use and atx X was told 'atx X, runway 4 hold short of runway one- zero.' before atx X could respond and immediately after ground control unkeyed the microphone, air carrier Y, an medium large transport, called for taxi clearance. Before ground control could respond to air carrier Y, atx X readback his clearance with no identify as follows: 'runway 4 hold short of 10.' ground control then told air carrier Y that he readback a clearance that was not issued by ground control but rather a readback from another aircraft. Atx X was asked by ground control to confirm that he had understood his clearance. Primary cause of the situation was the failure of atx X to acknowledge his clearance using his call sign. Secondary cause was failure of air carrier Y to properly monitor the frequency prior to transmitting to make sure it was clear, and also air carrier Y accepting a clearance broadcast from an unknown and unidented source. This reporter has noticed a sharp increase lately in improper radio communications, mostly by pilots of regional commuter airlines. They make a routine practice of omitting the company name and just use the flight number, or omit the call sign entirely. Also, I have noticed that many air carrier pilots seem to be in a rush more than usual and often block transmission with their own because they don't monitor the frequency before they transmit. Controllers also contribute to the problem, especially at larger airports, by using improper phraseology. Pilots have become used to accepting clrncs without proper facility and position identify. Solution: reinstitute the program 'call to action' to increase pilot- controller awareness of correct phraseology to reduce misunderstood communications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TAKES TAXI CLRNC MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACFT. CTLR RPTR CRITICAL OF PLT RADIO TECHNIQUE. NON INCIDENT.

Narrative: INCIDENT OCCURRED ON GND CTL FREQ. ATX X, AN LTT, CALLED GND CTL FREQ AND REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC. RWY 04 WAS IN USE AND ATX X WAS TOLD 'ATX X, RWY 4 HOLD SHORT OF RWY ONE- ZERO.' BEFORE ATX X COULD RESPOND AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER GND CTL UNKEYED THE MIKE, ACR Y, AN MLG, CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC. BEFORE GND CTL COULD RESPOND TO ACR Y, ATX X READBACK HIS CLRNC WITH NO IDENT AS FOLLOWS: 'RWY 4 HOLD SHORT OF 10.' GND CTL THEN TOLD ACR Y THAT HE READBACK A CLRNC THAT WAS NOT ISSUED BY GND CTL BUT RATHER A READBACK FROM ANOTHER ACFT. ATX X WAS ASKED BY GND CTL TO CONFIRM THAT HE HAD UNDERSTOOD HIS CLRNC. PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE SITUATION WAS THE FAILURE OF ATX X TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS CLRNC USING HIS CALL SIGN. SECONDARY CAUSE WAS FAILURE OF ACR Y TO PROPERLY MONITOR THE FREQ PRIOR TO XMITTING TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CLR, AND ALSO ACR Y ACCEPTING A CLRNC BROADCAST FROM AN UNKNOWN AND UNIDENTED SOURCE. THIS RPTR HAS NOTICED A SHARP INCREASE LATELY IN IMPROPER RADIO COMS, MOSTLY BY PLTS OF REGIONAL COMMUTER AIRLINES. THEY MAKE A ROUTINE PRACTICE OF OMITTING THE COMPANY NAME AND JUST USE THE FLT NUMBER, OR OMIT THE CALL SIGN ENTIRELY. ALSO, I HAVE NOTICED THAT MANY AIR CARRIER PLTS SEEM TO BE IN A RUSH MORE THAN USUAL AND OFTEN BLOCK XMISSION WITH THEIR OWN BECAUSE THEY DON'T MONITOR THE FREQ BEFORE THEY XMIT. CTLRS ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY AT LARGER ARPTS, BY USING IMPROPER PHRASEOLOGY. PLTS HAVE BECOME USED TO ACCEPTING CLRNCS WITHOUT PROPER FACILITY AND POS IDENT. SOLUTION: REINSTITUTE THE PROGRAM 'CALL TO ACTION' TO INCREASE PLT- CTLR AWARENESS OF CORRECT PHRASEOLOGY TO REDUCE MISUNDERSTOOD COMS.

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.