Narrative:

We taxied to runway 8R at phx after a runway change and found ourselves behind several aircraft with a busy final approach and a lot of radio traffic. Approaching the #1 spot, we switched over to tower (I do not recall if we were directed to another frequency at this time). Looking out on final we could see an aircraft approaching for landing and since a company aircraft had just landed in front of us, spacing was going to be tight. Without hesitation or further inquiry, we completed checklist items and took our position out on the runway expecting an immediate takeoff clearance as soon as the company aircraft cleared the runway. There was then radio silence and the next thing we heard was tower telling us we were on the wrong frequency and to clear. Apparently, we had been on 118.7 which is for runway 8L instead of 120.9 which controls runway 8R. The aircraft on final was sent around with adequate warning and we subsequently made a normal departure. Later, I called the phx tower supervisor from my destination and found out an aircraft with a different call sign with a very similar call sign to ours had been cleared for takeoff on 118.7 and this is what we acted upon. I also found out it was a B-757 which was sent around. The similarity in call signs, heavy traffic with the runway change, our desire to expedite the departure since we were running late, and the anticipation of a departure clearance just as the aircraft with a different call sign was cleared for takeoff set up this unfortunate scenario.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC REPLY TO WRONG CALL SIGN. FREQ CHANGE WRONG. ACR ON THE WRONG FREQ ACTS ON A CLRNC FOR ANOTHER (AT THE OTHER RWY) AND TAXIES ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY CAUSING A GAR. RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: WE TAXIED TO RWY 8R AT PHX AFTER A RWY CHANGE AND FOUND OURSELVES BEHIND SEVERAL ACFT WITH A BUSY FINAL APCH AND A LOT OF RADIO TFC. APCHING THE #1 SPOT, WE SWITCHED OVER TO TWR (I DO NOT RECALL IF WE WERE DIRECTED TO ANOTHER FREQ AT THIS TIME). LOOKING OUT ON FINAL WE COULD SEE AN ACFT APCHING FOR LNDG AND SINCE A COMPANY ACFT HAD JUST LANDED IN FRONT OF US, SPACING WAS GOING TO BE TIGHT. WITHOUT HESITATION OR FURTHER INQUIRY, WE COMPLETED CHKLIST ITEMS AND TOOK OUR POS OUT ON THE RWY EXPECTING AN IMMEDIATE TKOF CLRNC AS SOON AS THE COMPANY ACFT CLRED THE RWY. THERE WAS THEN RADIO SILENCE AND THE NEXT THING WE HEARD WAS TWR TELLING US WE WERE ON THE WRONG FREQ AND TO CLR. APPARENTLY, WE HAD BEEN ON 118.7 WHICH IS FOR RWY 8L INSTEAD OF 120.9 WHICH CTLS RWY 8R. THE ACFT ON FINAL WAS SENT AROUND WITH ADEQUATE WARNING AND WE SUBSEQUENTLY MADE A NORMAL DEP. LATER, I CALLED THE PHX TWR SUPVR FROM MY DEST AND FOUND OUT AN ACFT WITH A DIFFERENT CALL SIGN WITH A VERY SIMILAR CALL SIGN TO OURS HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON 118.7 AND THIS IS WHAT WE ACTED UPON. I ALSO FOUND OUT IT WAS A B-757 WHICH WAS SENT AROUND. THE SIMILARITY IN CALL SIGNS, HVY TFC WITH THE RWY CHANGE, OUR DESIRE TO EXPEDITE THE DEP SINCE WE WERE RUNNING LATE, AND THE ANTICIPATION OF A DEP CLRNC JUST AS THE ACFT WITH A DIFFERENT CALL SIGN WAS CLRED FOR TKOF SET UP THIS UNFORTUNATE SCENARIO.

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.