Narrative:

On previous flight from dal to hou, aircraft call sign was changed by company from flight xx to xy. After much confusion at gate with clearance flight proceeded to hou as xy. From hou to crp on the subject flight, the call sign was changed back to the original of xx. Clearance was received as xy and flight was cleared to taxi out and on to hold on runway 30L as flight xy. While on hold we heard what we thought was flight xx cleared for takeoff, the first officer was flying and the captain running the radios responded flight xx cleared for takeoff. The heading assigned for departure did not sound correct so the first officer had the captain verify heading for the flight, it then became apparent that flight xy was not cleared for takeoff but another flight on another runway holding for takeoff at the same time was the flight actually cleared for takeoff. That flight number was xz. We aborted the takeoff and cleared the runway at taxiway left. Recommend the flight call signs once changed remain changed until the completion of the flight sequence and that when a flight call sign is changed it should be attempted to make it different from flts operating in the local area, ie, xx and xz not being a good idea. Additional note: we rolled approximately 1000 ft before aborting the takeoff and the other aircraft flight did not start takeoff roll.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIMILAR SOUNDING A/N CAUSED THE FLC OF AN MLG TO PREMATURELY START TKOF AND THEN ABORT WHEN THEY DETERMINED THAT THE CLRNC WAS NOT FOR THEM.

Narrative: ON PREVIOUS FLT FROM DAL TO HOU, ACFT CALL SIGN WAS CHANGED BY COMPANY FROM FLT XX TO XY. AFTER MUCH CONFUSION AT GATE WITH CLRNC FLT PROCEEDED TO HOU AS XY. FROM HOU TO CRP ON THE SUBJECT FLT, THE CALL SIGN WAS CHANGED BACK TO THE ORIGINAL OF XX. CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AS XY AND FLT WAS CLRED TO TAXI OUT AND ON TO HOLD ON RWY 30L AS FLT XY. WHILE ON HOLD WE HEARD WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS FLT XX CLRED FOR TKOF, THE FO WAS FLYING AND THE CAPT RUNNING THE RADIOS RESPONDED FLT XX CLRED FOR TKOF. THE HDG ASSIGNED FOR DEP DID NOT SOUND CORRECT SO THE FO HAD THE CAPT VERIFY HDG FOR THE FLT, IT THEN BECAME APPARENT THAT FLT XY WAS NOT CLRED FOR TKOF BUT ANOTHER FLT ON ANOTHER RWY HOLDING FOR TKOF AT THE SAME TIME WAS THE FLT ACTUALLY CLRED FOR TKOF. THAT FLT NUMBER WAS XZ. WE ABORTED THE TKOF AND CLRED THE RWY AT TXWY L. RECOMMEND THE FLT CALL SIGNS ONCE CHANGED REMAIN CHANGED UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE FLT SEQUENCE AND THAT WHEN A FLT CALL SIGN IS CHANGED IT SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IT DIFFERENT FROM FLTS OPERATING IN THE LCL AREA, IE, XX AND XZ NOT BEING A GOOD IDEA. ADDITIONAL NOTE: WE ROLLED APPROX 1000 FT BEFORE ABORTING THE TKOF AND THE OTHER ACFT FLT DID NOT START TKOF ROLL.

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.