Narrative:

We were air carrier xex (dtw-tpa). As we approached the end of runway 21C for takeoff, we heard the tower say, 'air carrier xex, taxi into position and hold runway 21C, traffic 7 mi final.' we acknowledged with, 'roger air carrier xex, position and hold runway 21C.' after looking at the final and seeing an aircraft about 7 mi out, we taxied onto runway 21C. At this time the tower said, 'air carrier xex, that wasn't for you, taxi clear.' we continued across the runway to the east pad and turned around. The tower then said, 'we meant to say runway 21L.' an A320 landed. The tower then said, 'air carrier xex taxi into position and hold runway 21C.' fortunately, we were slow to respond (we were now sufficiently paranoid) and we heard another air carrier xex answer and take the runway. He was right. The tower was not careful enough with their enunciation and nearly caused another problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: unclr controller phraseology and the pieces of information that the flight crew had available, all correlated to make up a clearance that was expected. What the DC9-30 crew didn't expect was that there was another flight holding short with a very similar name and the same flight number. Supplemental information from acn 350923: it should be noted that the controller's pronunciation of our airline and their airline sounded alike. I don't know if the flight numbers may have caused momentary confusion on his part, but the captain and I both heard our call sign, I read back his clearance verbatim, and we executed his orders. As an aside, I have made it a personal policy to read back all instructions verbatim when taxiing onto, or crossing an active runway, due to an accident there, because of a runway incursion several yrs ago. Further, as I understand it, marketing departments set up these flight numbers, and the practice of having same number flts at the same airport only serve to confuse ATC and flcs, when both are busy. As you are well aware, real world operations, with traffic, checklists, radio communications, and maneuvering of the aircraft -- using similar numbers at an airport -- only serves to set everyone up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHEN THE CTLR ORDERED THEM OFF THE RWY, AN ACR FLC DISCOVERED THAT THEY HAD PICKED UP A POS AND HOLD CLRNC THAT WAS MEANT FOR ANOTHER AIRLINE WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN. ACTUALLY, THE OTHER ACR'S NAME WAS SIMILAR, BUT THE FLT NUMBER WAS IDENTICAL.

Narrative: WE WERE ACR XEX (DTW-TPA). AS WE APCHED THE END OF RWY 21C FOR TKOF, WE HEARD THE TWR SAY, 'ACR XEX, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 21C, TFC 7 MI FINAL.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH, 'ROGER ACR XEX, POS AND HOLD RWY 21C.' AFTER LOOKING AT THE FINAL AND SEEING AN ACFT ABOUT 7 MI OUT, WE TAXIED ONTO RWY 21C. AT THIS TIME THE TWR SAID, 'ACR XEX, THAT WASN'T FOR YOU, TAXI CLR.' WE CONTINUED ACROSS THE RWY TO THE E PAD AND TURNED AROUND. THE TWR THEN SAID, 'WE MEANT TO SAY RWY 21L.' AN A320 LANDED. THE TWR THEN SAID, 'ACR XEX TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 21C.' FORTUNATELY, WE WERE SLOW TO RESPOND (WE WERE NOW SUFFICIENTLY PARANOID) AND WE HEARD ANOTHER ACR XEX ANSWER AND TAKE THE RWY. HE WAS RIGHT. THE TWR WAS NOT CAREFUL ENOUGH WITH THEIR ENUNCIATION AND NEARLY CAUSED ANOTHER PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: UNCLR CTLR PHRASEOLOGY AND THE PIECES OF INFO THAT THE FLC HAD AVAILABLE, ALL CORRELATED TO MAKE UP A CLRNC THAT WAS EXPECTED. WHAT THE DC9-30 CREW DIDN'T EXPECT WAS THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER FLT HOLDING SHORT WITH A VERY SIMILAR NAME AND THE SAME FLT NUMBER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 350923: IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE CTLR'S PRONUNCIATION OF OUR AIRLINE AND THEIR AIRLINE SOUNDED ALIKE. I DON'T KNOW IF THE FLT NUMBERS MAY HAVE CAUSED MOMENTARY CONFUSION ON HIS PART, BUT THE CAPT AND I BOTH HEARD OUR CALL SIGN, I READ BACK HIS CLRNC VERBATIM, AND WE EXECUTED HIS ORDERS. AS AN ASIDE, I HAVE MADE IT A PERSONAL POLICY TO READ BACK ALL INSTRUCTIONS VERBATIM WHEN TAXIING ONTO, OR XING AN ACTIVE RWY, DUE TO AN ACCIDENT THERE, BECAUSE OF A RWY INCURSION SEVERAL YRS AGO. FURTHER, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, MARKETING DEPTS SET UP THESE FLT NUMBERS, AND THE PRACTICE OF HAVING SAME NUMBER FLTS AT THE SAME ARPT ONLY SERVE TO CONFUSE ATC AND FLCS, WHEN BOTH ARE BUSY. AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, REAL WORLD OPS, WITH TFC, CHKLISTS, RADIO COMS, AND MANEUVERING OF THE ACFT -- USING SIMILAR NUMBERS AT AN ARPT -- ONLY SERVES TO SET EVERYONE UP.

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.