An air carrier captain reports having been assigned a flight number that caused confusion when other company aircraft with similar numbers were on the same frequency at the same time, and inbound to the same destination.

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Attributes
ACN	350708
Time
Date	199610
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zid
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	350708
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were flying from bna to dtw as airline flight xadb. During climb, we were joined on frequency by company flight xacb. Not much later, company flight xabb joined in while we were en route. All 3 aircraft headed for dtw metropolitan. As you will note, xabb, xacb, and xadb are not too dissimilar. All controllers were very cautious, but several times calls were taken by the wrong aircraft. Exercising caution is paramount, but there is no way that this many aircraft in the same area should have similar call signs within the same company.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT RPTS HAVING BEEN ASSIGNED A FLT NUMBER THAT CAUSED CONFUSION WHEN OTHER COMPANY ACFT WITH SIMILAR NUMBERS WERE ON THE SAME FREQ AT THE SAME TIME, AND INBOUND TO THE SAME DEST.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FROM BNA TO DTW AS AIRLINE FLT XADB. DURING CLB, WE WERE JOINED ON FREQ BY COMPANY FLT XACB. NOT MUCH LATER, COMPANY FLT XABB JOINED IN WHILE WE WERE ENRTE. ALL 3 ACFT HEADED FOR DTW METRO. AS YOU WILL NOTE, XABB, XACB, AND XADB ARE NOT TOO DISSIMILAR. ALL CTLRS WERE VERY CAUTIOUS, BUT SEVERAL TIMES CALLS WERE TAKEN BY THE WRONG ACFT. EXERCISING CAUTION IS PARAMOUNT, BUT THERE IS NO WAY THAT THIS MANY ACFT IN THE SAME AREA SHOULD HAVE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS WITHIN THE SAME COMPANY.

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.