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Multiple runway operation intersecting runways. Air carrier X made unauthorized takeoff when air carrier Y similar numbers was cleared for takeoff. Pilot deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 215174 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199207 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : phl |
| State Reference | PA |
| 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, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : holding |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 450 |
| ASRS Report | 215174 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
We were air carrier flight X and were cleared to taxi to runway 35 intersection a. Upon reaching 35 at a, we were #1 at that runway and switched to tower frequency. After a few arrs, tower instructed air carrier Y into position and hold at runway 35 intersection a. I replied air carrier X on and hold 35A, thinking the controller mixed the flight number up which is a common occurrence in phl. Tower then instructed air carrier Y clear for takeoff 35 fly runway heading. My reply was heading clear for takeoff 35, air carrier X, stressing the X. No acknowledgement of the different flight numbers was made from the controller. After takeoff the tower controller instructed air carrier Y to contact departure. For the 3RD time I stressed the correct flight number. At this time the controller realized the difference and said 'that was air carrier X that just departed.' I replied affirmative, and the controller returned with air carrier X, contact departure, using the correct call sign. After looking into it, my captain and myself found out that there was an air carrier Y taxiing at the same time. However, they were going to runway 27L because they were unable to accept runway 35 due to restrictions. It was obvious to us that there was a lack of communication between the ground controller and the tower controller, which resulted in the tower controller not knowing which aircraft was at runway 35A. Knowing we were the only ones at 35A, and the controller calling us Y instead of X, we assumed he was talking to us and was just mixing up the flight numbers. As mentioned before, this is a common occurrence at phl. I also blame my company for having 2 flts with similar flight numbers operating at the same time. Possible solutions are for the controllers to listen more carefully when flts read back instructions. This was done twice with the correct number before the controller realized it. In addition, airlines shouldn't assign flts with similar flight numbers. This is confusing to the pilots as well as the controllers.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MULTIPLE RWY OP INTERSECTING RWYS. ACR X MADE UNAUTHORIZED TKOF WHEN ACR Y SIMILAR NUMBERS WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. PLTDEV.
Narrative: WE WERE ACR FLT X AND WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 35 INTXN A. UPON REACHING 35 AT A, WE WERE #1 AT THAT RWY AND SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. AFTER A FEW ARRS, TWR INSTRUCTED ACR Y INTO POS AND HOLD AT RWY 35 INTXN A. I REPLIED ACR X ON AND HOLD 35A, THINKING THE CTLR MIXED THE FLT NUMBER UP WHICH IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN PHL. TWR THEN INSTRUCTED ACR Y CLR FOR TKOF 35 FLY RWY HDG. MY REPLY WAS HDG CLR FOR TKOF 35, ACR X, STRESSING THE X. NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE DIFFERENT FLT NUMBERS WAS MADE FROM THE CTLR. AFTER TKOF THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED ACR Y TO CONTACT DEP. FOR THE 3RD TIME I STRESSED THE CORRECT FLT NUMBER. AT THIS TIME THE CTLR REALIZED THE DIFFERENCE AND SAID 'THAT WAS ACR X THAT JUST DEPARTED.' I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE, AND THE CTLR RETURNED WITH ACR X, CONTACT DEP, USING THE CORRECT CALL SIGN. AFTER LOOKING INTO IT, MY CAPT AND MYSELF FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS AN ACR Y TAXIING AT THE SAME TIME. HOWEVER, THEY WERE GOING TO RWY 27L BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO ACCEPT RWY 35 DUE TO RESTRICTIONS. IT WAS OBVIOUS TO US THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF COM BTWN THE GND CTLR AND THE TWR CTLR, WHICH RESULTED IN THE TWR CTLR NOT KNOWING WHICH ACFT WAS AT RWY 35A. KNOWING WE WERE THE ONLY ONES AT 35A, AND THE CTLR CALLING US Y INSTEAD OF X, WE ASSUMED HE WAS TALKING TO US AND WAS JUST MIXING UP THE FLT NUMBERS. AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AT PHL. I ALSO BLAME MY COMPANY FOR HAVING 2 FLTS WITH SIMILAR FLT NUMBERS OPERATING AT THE SAME TIME. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS ARE FOR THE CTLRS TO LISTEN MORE CAREFULLY WHEN FLTS READ BACK INSTRUCTIONS. THIS WAS DONE TWICE WITH THE CORRECT NUMBER BEFORE THE CTLR REALIZED IT. IN ADDITION, AIRLINES SHOULDN'T ASSIGN FLTS WITH SIMILAR FLT NUMBERS. THIS IS CONFUSING TO THE PLTS AS WELL AS THE CTLRS.
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.