Narrative:

We were flying air carrier X flight abc. Just outside the FAF on the ILS to runway 35L, the final approach controller issued us a heading of 180 degrees and a leveloff of 7500 ft. Since this was about a 180 degree turn, we asked the controller to confirm the instructions and he repeated them. We then asked which direction to turn and were told to turn right. We initiated the maneuver and asked the reason since we were now turning toward traffic on the runway 35R approach. We were told that there was a flight with a similar call sign (air carrier X flight acb) and that the controller had intended to give that aircraft the turn. 3 radio calls had been given to us with our correct call sign, and all had been acknowledged by us using our call sign. Although there was traffic on TCASII, no TA's or RA's were triggered. Greater care should be taken to either avoid (flight number scheduling?) or be made aware of possible conflicts in call signs. If we had known before the fact that a flight with a similar sounding call sign was on the frequency, we possibly could have cleared up the matter without having to discontinue the ILS approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT, CALL SIGN ABC, WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS FOR ANOTHER ACFT OF THE SAME ACR, CALL SIGN ACB.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING ACR X FLT ABC. JUST OUTSIDE THE FAF ON THE ILS TO RWY 35L, THE FINAL APCH CTLR ISSUED US A HDG OF 180 DEGS AND A LEVELOFF OF 7500 FT. SINCE THIS WAS ABOUT A 180 DEG TURN, WE ASKED THE CTLR TO CONFIRM THE INSTRUCTIONS AND HE REPEATED THEM. WE THEN ASKED WHICH DIRECTION TO TURN AND WERE TOLD TO TURN R. WE INITIATED THE MANEUVER AND ASKED THE REASON SINCE WE WERE NOW TURNING TOWARD TFC ON THE RWY 35R APCH. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS A FLT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN (ACR X FLT ACB) AND THAT THE CTLR HAD INTENDED TO GIVE THAT ACFT THE TURN. 3 RADIO CALLS HAD BEEN GIVEN TO US WITH OUR CORRECT CALL SIGN, AND ALL HAD BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED BY US USING OUR CALL SIGN. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS TFC ON TCASII, NO TA'S OR RA'S WERE TRIGGERED. GREATER CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO EITHER AVOID (FLT NUMBER SCHEDULING?) OR BE MADE AWARE OF POSSIBLE CONFLICTS IN CALL SIGNS. IF WE HAD KNOWN BEFORE THE FACT THAT A FLT WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN WAS ON THE FREQ, WE POSSIBLY COULD HAVE CLRED UP THE MATTER WITHOUT HAVING TO DISCONTINUE THE ILS APCH.

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.