Narrative:

I was the captain of flight ab mover edha from bos to mvy on oct/fri/96. While taxiing to runway 9 at bos, the tower controller asked us if we could accept an intersection 'west' departure on runway 9. Our airport analysis did not have data for an intersection 'west' departure so I declined and informed the tower controller we would need the full length of runway 9. We were holding short of runway 9 at intersection 'west' and were cleared by tower to taxi the full length of runway 9 into position and hold. I was at the controls. As I was taxiing and turning the aircraft 180 degrees onto centerline the tower issued the takeoff clearance, 'ab mover edha cleared for takeoff.' my first officer read back the takeoff clearance, 'ab mover edha cleared for takeoff runway 9.' there was no reply from tower telling us we read the clearance incorrectly or that we were not cleared for takeoff. The first officer stated to me over the interphone 'cleared for takeoff' and I agreed. I transferred the controls to the first officer since it was his leg to fly. Approximately 5- 10 seconds had elapsed between the time the first officer had finished the takeoff clearance readback and he began to advance the power levers to begin the takeoff roll. Still no transmission from tower telling us we were not cleared for takeoff. As our airspeed reached approximately 40-50 KTS the tower controller said 'ab mover edha stop.' I called 'abort, abort' over the interphone and the first officer immediately initiated the abort and stopped the aircraft on centerline without incident. We had crossed runway 4R which intersects runway 9. We were told to exit runway 9 at intersection 'east' and we did. We were clear of runway 9 on taxiway 'east.' a voice on the frequency said 'what happened?' and a reply from the tower of 'I don't know, we're looking into it.' the tower controller told a 'xxab mover foha turn left for resequence for departure.' this is the first time we were aware there was another aircraft with a similar call sign on the frequency. Ground or tower controllers never advised us there were similar call signs on the same frequency. Our call sign was 'ab mover edha' and theirs was 'xxab mover foha.' when the takeoff clearance was issued the tower controller only used the word 'mover.' we did not hear 'ab' or 'xx' first. Since our call signs were so similar we apparently both began our departure rolls. We never heard another aircraft read back the takeoff clearance and were not advised we had misread a takeoff clearance for another aircraft with a similar call sign. I was told I would have to call bos tower when I reached my destination, which I did. I was told they were investigating a pilot deviation since 2 aircraft were rolling simultaneously on intersecting runways. We never saw or heard another aircraft on our takeoff roll. There was no near miss that we could see. The bos controller I called after arrival at mvy never said I was the aircraft that began to move without clearance. Aircraft departing from the full length of runway 4R at bos start their takeoff roll from beyond a displaced threshold approximately 1500-2000 ft from the intersection of runway 4R and runway 9. The runways are aligned at approximately 45 degrees to each other so it is difficult for an aircraft holding in position on runway 9 to see another aircraft hold in position on runway 4R beyond the displaced threshold. When we were initially cleared into position and hold on runway 9 the tower controller told us there would be one arrival prior to our departure on the intersecting runway 4R which there was, a B737. The tower controller did not tell us there would be a departure from the intersecting runway 4R prior to our departure. We were not advised another aircraft with a similar call sign was holding on the intersecting runway 4R. There has been confusion in the past with the similarity in the call signs between our company ab mover and xxab mover to the extent that our company issued a memo to all pilots to always use our full call sign 'ab mover' and not to reply with just 'mover.' if the tower controller had used 'ab' or 'xx' preceding the words 'mover edha' in his takeoff clearance, it was not heard by myself or the first officer. If we had been advised an aircraft with a similar call sign and flight number was on the frequency I feel this situation could have been avoided. Fatigue was not a factor with myself or my first officer. We had only flown 2 previous legs from hya to mvy and mvy to boston. We were both well rested. Our report for duty time was XA30 pm. I know that at a busy airport like bos, controllers don't have time to alert pilots every time there is a similar call sign alone on the same frequency, but when 2 aircraft with similar call signs and similar flight numbers ab mover edha and xxab mover foha are on intersecting runway, pilots must be advised -- especially if controllers drop the 'ab' or 'xx' prefix and just use 'mover' and the flight number. This was an event that could have been avoided. We were a few mins behind schedule but we were not rushing. We had enough time on the ground at martha's vineyard that we would be back on schedule for our return trip to boston. We accept the delays we experience at busy airports like boston and don't rush to get back on schedule. This was not a factor in this occurrence. If we had heard the xx mover say something like 'was that takeoff clearance to xx mover foha' or if the controller had told us we were not cleared for takeoff or anything to give us some indication there was any misunderstanding with the takeoff clearance we would have continued holding in position and asked for clarification of the takeoff clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH TKOF STARTED BY 1 OF 2 ACFT WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING A/N. MULTIPLE RWY OP INTERSECTING XING RWYS.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT AB MOVER EDHA FROM BOS TO MVY ON OCT/FRI/96. WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 9 AT BOS, THE TWR CTLR ASKED US IF WE COULD ACCEPT AN INTXN 'W' DEP ON RWY 9. OUR ARPT ANALYSIS DID NOT HAVE DATA FOR AN INTXN 'W' DEP SO I DECLINED AND INFORMED THE TWR CTLR WE WOULD NEED THE FULL LENGTH OF RWY 9. WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 9 AT INTXN 'W' AND WERE CLRED BY TWR TO TAXI THE FULL LENGTH OF RWY 9 INTO POS AND HOLD. I WAS AT THE CTLS. AS I WAS TAXIING AND TURNING THE ACFT 180 DEGS ONTO CTRLINE THE TWR ISSUED THE TKOF CLRNC, 'AB MOVER EDHA CLRED FOR TKOF.' MY FO READ BACK THE TKOF CLRNC, 'AB MOVER EDHA CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 9.' THERE WAS NO REPLY FROM TWR TELLING US WE READ THE CLRNC INCORRECTLY OR THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR TKOF. THE FO STATED TO ME OVER THE INTERPHONE 'CLRED FOR TKOF' AND I AGREED. I TRANSFERRED THE CTLS TO THE FO SINCE IT WAS HIS LEG TO FLY. APPROX 5- 10 SECONDS HAD ELAPSED BTWN THE TIME THE FO HAD FINISHED THE TKOF CLRNC READBACK AND HE BEGAN TO ADVANCE THE PWR LEVERS TO BEGIN THE TKOF ROLL. STILL NO XMISSION FROM TWR TELLING US WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR TKOF. AS OUR AIRSPD REACHED APPROX 40-50 KTS THE TWR CTLR SAID 'AB MOVER EDHA STOP.' I CALLED 'ABORT, ABORT' OVER THE INTERPHONE AND THE FO IMMEDIATELY INITIATED THE ABORT AND STOPPED THE ACFT ON CTRLINE WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE HAD CROSSED RWY 4R WHICH INTERSECTS RWY 9. WE WERE TOLD TO EXIT RWY 9 AT INTXN 'E' AND WE DID. WE WERE CLR OF RWY 9 ON TXWY 'E.' A VOICE ON THE FREQ SAID 'WHAT HAPPENED?' AND A REPLY FROM THE TWR OF 'I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING INTO IT.' THE TWR CTLR TOLD A 'XXAB MOVER FOHA TURN L FOR RESEQUENCE FOR DEP.' THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE WERE AWARE THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON THE FREQ. GND OR TWR CTLRS NEVER ADVISED US THERE WERE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS ON THE SAME FREQ. OUR CALL SIGN WAS 'AB MOVER EDHA' AND THEIRS WAS 'XXAB MOVER FOHA.' WHEN THE TKOF CLRNC WAS ISSUED THE TWR CTLR ONLY USED THE WORD 'MOVER.' WE DID NOT HEAR 'AB' OR 'XX' FIRST. SINCE OUR CALL SIGNS WERE SO SIMILAR WE APPARENTLY BOTH BEGAN OUR DEP ROLLS. WE NEVER HEARD ANOTHER ACFT READ BACK THE TKOF CLRNC AND WERE NOT ADVISED WE HAD MISREAD A TKOF CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN. I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO CALL BOS TWR WHEN I REACHED MY DEST, WHICH I DID. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE INVESTIGATING A PLTDEV SINCE 2 ACFT WERE ROLLING SIMULTANEOUSLY ON INTERSECTING RWYS. WE NEVER SAW OR HEARD ANOTHER ACFT ON OUR TKOF ROLL. THERE WAS NO NEAR MISS THAT WE COULD SEE. THE BOS CTLR I CALLED AFTER ARR AT MVY NEVER SAID I WAS THE ACFT THAT BEGAN TO MOVE WITHOUT CLRNC. ACFT DEPARTING FROM THE FULL LENGTH OF RWY 4R AT BOS START THEIR TKOF ROLL FROM BEYOND A DISPLACED THRESHOLD APPROX 1500-2000 FT FROM THE INTXN OF RWY 4R AND RWY 9. THE RWYS ARE ALIGNED AT APPROX 45 DEGS TO EACH OTHER SO IT IS DIFFICULT FOR AN ACFT HOLDING IN POS ON RWY 9 TO SEE ANOTHER ACFT HOLD IN POS ON RWY 4R BEYOND THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. WHEN WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 9 THE TWR CTLR TOLD US THERE WOULD BE ONE ARR PRIOR TO OUR DEP ON THE INTERSECTING RWY 4R WHICH THERE WAS, A B737. THE TWR CTLR DID NOT TELL US THERE WOULD BE A DEP FROM THE INTERSECTING RWY 4R PRIOR TO OUR DEP. WE WERE NOT ADVISED ANOTHER ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN WAS HOLDING ON THE INTERSECTING RWY 4R. THERE HAS BEEN CONFUSION IN THE PAST WITH THE SIMILARITY IN THE CALL SIGNS BTWN OUR COMPANY AB MOVER AND XXAB MOVER TO THE EXTENT THAT OUR COMPANY ISSUED A MEMO TO ALL PLTS TO ALWAYS USE OUR FULL CALL SIGN 'AB MOVER' AND NOT TO REPLY WITH JUST 'MOVER.' IF THE TWR CTLR HAD USED 'AB' OR 'XX' PRECEDING THE WORDS 'MOVER EDHA' IN HIS TKOF CLRNC, IT WAS NOT HEARD BY MYSELF OR THE FO. IF WE HAD BEEN ADVISED AN ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN AND FLT NUMBER WAS ON THE FREQ I FEEL THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. FATIGUE WAS NOT A FACTOR WITH MYSELF OR MY FO. WE HAD ONLY FLOWN 2 PREVIOUS LEGS FROM HYA TO MVY AND MVY TO BOSTON. WE WERE BOTH WELL RESTED. OUR RPT FOR DUTY TIME WAS XA30 PM. I KNOW THAT AT A BUSY ARPT LIKE BOS, CTLRS DON'T HAVE TIME TO ALERT PLTS EVERY TIME THERE IS A SIMILAR CALL SIGN ALONE ON THE SAME FREQ, BUT WHEN 2 ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS AND SIMILAR FLT NUMBERS AB MOVER EDHA AND XXAB MOVER FOHA ARE ON INTERSECTING RWY, PLTS MUST BE ADVISED -- ESPECIALLY IF CTLRS DROP THE 'AB' OR 'XX' PREFIX AND JUST USE 'MOVER' AND THE FLT NUMBER. THIS WAS AN EVENT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. WE WERE A FEW MINS BEHIND SCHEDULE BUT WE WERE NOT RUSHING. WE HAD ENOUGH TIME ON THE GND AT MARTHA'S VINEYARD THAT WE WOULD BE BACK ON SCHEDULE FOR OUR RETURN TRIP TO BOSTON. WE ACCEPT THE DELAYS WE EXPERIENCE AT BUSY ARPTS LIKE BOSTON AND DON'T RUSH TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE. THIS WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS OCCURRENCE. IF WE HAD HEARD THE XX MOVER SAY SOMETHING LIKE 'WAS THAT TKOF CLRNC TO XX MOVER FOHA' OR IF THE CTLR HAD TOLD US WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR TKOF OR ANYTHING TO GIVE US SOME INDICATION THERE WAS ANY MISUNDERSTANDING WITH THE TKOF CLRNC WE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED HOLDING IN POS AND ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE TKOF CLRNC.

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.