Narrative:

Air carrier X (xxy) was told to taxi into position and hold on runway 27 for traffic departing on runway 18R. Air carrier Y (XXXZ) was told to taxi into position and hold on runway 18R because of a previous departure on runway 18R. When the previous runway 18R departure was no longer a factor I told Y at the MM turn right heading 210 degrees runway 18R cleared for takeoff. I scanned the runway, looked south at the previous departure to make sure the aircraft turned out the noise track. I looked up at the BRITE radar, looked back down to observe the runway 18R departure Y and re-scan the runway. I then wrote down my next 18R departure and looked back up to see Y and X departing simultaneously from intersecting runways. At this time there was nothing I could do to avoid the simultaneous departure. I would like to stress that I used proper phraseology for crossing runways and I believe I heard only the readback of Y off runway 18R. X was never issued a departure clearance nor did I hear X read back a clearance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter experience level 11 yrs radar. Reporter stated he had listened to the tapes and the first part of air carrier Y readback was blocked but it was clear on tape that air carrier X rolling. Reporter did not hear the wrong call sing. Reporter stated he normally looks at the aircraft that has not been cleared for takeoff but was distraction with aircraft not making noise abatement turns and having to tell them to start the turn. Reporter said after investigation a system error was called. Procedures were changed so the controller now has to inform the aircraft holding in position how many aircraft will depart in front of him on the intersecting runway. Supplemental information from acn 269002: air carrier X cleared by cvg tower (frequency 118.3) to 'taxi into position and hold runway 27.' I (PNF) acknowledged 'X position and hold runway 27.' as we completed the final items of the before takeoff checklist, tower transmitted 'X, turn left heading 210, cleared for takeoff.' I responded 'heading 210, X cleared for takeoff runway 27.' as we lifted off and passed the intersection of runways 18R/27, I observed a Y MD88 approaching the same intersection on runway 18R. The first half runway 18R was not visible from our position. The initial 210 degree heading was unusual for a takeoff on runway 27. Supplemental information from acn 269283: air carrier X cleared into position and hold runway 27. The first officer read back air carrier X position and hold runway 27. About 30 seconds later we received takeoff clearance 'air carrier X fly heading 210 cleared for takeoff.' we acknowledged and commenced our takeoff roll. At rotation we observed another jet approaching the intersection of our 2 runways (27 and 18R). We passed ahead of and above to oncoming aircraft and continued a normal takeoff. The call sign of the other aircraft was air carrier Y. Factors that contributed to the problem: we had somewhat similar call signs. We were not aware of another company jet departing 18R. The first portion of runway 18R is not visible from runway 27. If the controller had shared the information that he had 2 airplanes in position for takeoff I don't think this would have occurred. Supplemental information from acn 269005: air carrier Y cleared into position and hold runway 18R. We rogered and read back cleared into position and hold runway 18R air carrier Y. After approximately 4 seconds cvg tower transmitted 'air carrier Y fly heading 210 cleared for takeoff runway 18R.' my first officer rogered 'heading 210 cleared for takeoff runway 18R air carrier Y.' at 145 KTS during rotation (V2 = 138) as our main wheels left the ground (approximately 600 ft short of runway 18R/27 intersection we noticed a company 737 rotating on runway 27 prior to the runway intersection. We deviated left behind his rotation. He passed approximately 300 ft just to the right of our nose. Company flight was air carrier X which is a similar sounding call sign. Supplemental information from acn 269121: at no time did we hear tower and X communicate about position and hold or cleared for takeoff. It is our assumption that X answered tower at the same time as us, mistaking our call sign for theirs. Then tower did not recognize that both aircraft were rolling at the same time on crossing runways. Recommendations: do not position and hold 2 aircraft on intersecting runways at the same time!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE RWY OP INTERSECTING RWYS SIMILAR CALL SIGNS ACR X UNAUTH TKOF HAD NMAC WITH ACR Y TKOF. SYS ERROR PLTDEV.

Narrative: ACR X (XXY) WAS TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 27 FOR TFC DEPARTING ON RWY 18R. ACR Y (XXXZ) WAS TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 18R BECAUSE OF A PREVIOUS DEP ON RWY 18R. WHEN THE PREVIOUS RWY 18R DEP WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR I TOLD Y AT THE MM TURN R HDG 210 DEGS RWY 18R CLRED FOR TKOF. I SCANNED THE RWY, LOOKED S AT THE PREVIOUS DEP TO MAKE SURE THE ACFT TURNED OUT THE NOISE TRACK. I LOOKED UP AT THE BRITE RADAR, LOOKED BACK DOWN TO OBSERVE THE RWY 18R DEP Y AND RE-SCAN THE RWY. I THEN WROTE DOWN MY NEXT 18R DEP AND LOOKED BACK UP TO SEE Y AND X DEPARTING SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM INTERSECTING RWYS. AT THIS TIME THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO AVOID THE SIMULTANEOUS DEP. I WOULD LIKE TO STRESS THAT I USED PROPER PHRASEOLOGY FOR XING RWYS AND I BELIEVE I HEARD ONLY THE READBACK OF Y OFF RWY 18R. X WAS NEVER ISSUED A DEP CLRNC NOR DID I HEAR X READ BACK A CLRNC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR EXPERIENCE LEVEL 11 YRS RADAR. RPTR STATED HE HAD LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND THE FIRST PART OF ACR Y READBACK WAS BLOCKED BUT IT WAS CLR ON TAPE THAT ACR X ROLLING. RPTR DID NOT HEAR THE WRONG CALL SING. RPTR STATED HE NORMALLY LOOKS AT THE ACFT THAT HAS NOT BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF BUT WAS DISTR WITH ACFT NOT MAKING NOISE ABATEMENT TURNS AND HAVING TO TELL THEM TO START THE TURN. RPTR SAID AFTER INVESTIGATION A SYS ERROR WAS CALLED. PROCS WERE CHANGED SO THE CTLR NOW HAS TO INFORM THE ACFT HOLDING IN POS HOW MANY ACFT WILL DEPART IN FRONT OF HIM ON THE INTERSECTING RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 269002: ACR X CLRED BY CVG TWR (FREQ 118.3) TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 27.' I (PNF) ACKNOWLEDGED 'X POS AND HOLD RWY 27.' AS WE COMPLETED THE FINAL ITEMS OF THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, TWR XMITTED 'X, TURN L HDG 210, CLRED FOR TKOF.' I RESPONDED 'HDG 210, X CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 27.' AS WE LIFTED OFF AND PASSED THE INTXN OF RWYS 18R/27, I OBSERVED A Y MD88 APCHING THE SAME INTXN ON RWY 18R. THE FIRST HALF RWY 18R WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM OUR POS. THE INITIAL 210 DEG HDG WAS UNUSUAL FOR A TKOF ON RWY 27. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 269283: ACR X CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 27. THE FO READ BACK ACR X POS AND HOLD RWY 27. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER WE RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC 'ACR X FLY HDG 210 CLRED FOR TKOF.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMMENCED OUR TKOF ROLL. AT ROTATION WE OBSERVED ANOTHER JET APCHING THE INTXN OF OUR 2 RWYS (27 AND 18R). WE PASSED AHEAD OF AND ABOVE TO ONCOMING ACFT AND CONTINUED A NORMAL TKOF. THE CALL SIGN OF THE OTHER ACFT WAS ACR Y. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB: WE HAD SOMEWHAT SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. WE WERE NOT AWARE OF ANOTHER COMPANY JET DEPARTING 18R. THE FIRST PORTION OF RWY 18R IS NOT VISIBLE FROM RWY 27. IF THE CTLR HAD SHARED THE INFO THAT HE HAD 2 AIRPLANES IN POS FOR TKOF I DON'T THINK THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 269005: ACR Y CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 18R. WE ROGERED AND READ BACK CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 18R ACR Y. AFTER APPROX 4 SECONDS CVG TWR XMITTED 'ACR Y FLY HDG 210 CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 18R.' MY FO ROGERED 'HDG 210 CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 18R ACR Y.' AT 145 KTS DURING ROTATION (V2 = 138) AS OUR MAIN WHEELS LEFT THE GND (APPROX 600 FT SHORT OF RWY 18R/27 INTXN WE NOTICED A COMPANY 737 ROTATING ON RWY 27 PRIOR TO THE RWY INTXN. WE DEVIATED L BEHIND HIS ROTATION. HE PASSED APPROX 300 FT JUST TO THE R OF OUR NOSE. COMPANY FLT WAS ACR X WHICH IS A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 269121: AT NO TIME DID WE HEAR TWR AND X COMMUNICATE ABOUT POS AND HOLD OR CLRED FOR TKOF. IT IS OUR ASSUMPTION THAT X ANSWERED TWR AT THE SAME TIME AS US, MISTAKING OUR CALL SIGN FOR THEIRS. THEN TWR DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT BOTH ACFT WERE ROLLING AT THE SAME TIME ON XING RWYS. RECOMMENDATIONS: DO NOT POS AND HOLD 2 ACFT ON INTERSECTING RWYS AT THE SAME TIME!

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.