Narrative:

Air carrier X was cleared for takeoff. Air carrier Y was put into position and hold (both on runway 34R) with a further statement of 'at the south end.' air carrier Z was approaching intersection Q, not talking to me and crossed the runway without authority/authorized by me. Air carrier X aborted his departure. I feel that 3 people missed the readback by air carrier Z. However, similar sounding call signs and the pilot not listening to the transmission confirming that he was at intersection Q and not at the south end. Air carrier Z had already been almost clear of runway 34 between the runways when air carrier X had stopped. Supplemental information from acn 374635: the crew of air carrier Z was instructed by sea ground to taxi to runway 34R at intersection Q. I was the captain taxiing the aircraft and the first officer performed the duties of the checklist and radio calls. We had just completed our preflight checks as we approached intersection Q. There were several aircraft at the approach end of runway 34R including air carrier Y who was at the hold short line of runway 34R full length. The first officer responded to a radio call from sea tower, 'air carrier Z cleared position and hold runway 34R at intersection Q.' sea tower did not respond to this. I (the captain) began taxiing the aircraft onto the runway at intersection Q. I visualized apparent movement from an air carrier X MD80. I pwred the aircraft across runway 34R to the hold short lines of runway 34L, between the 2 runways clear of both runways. Air carrier X responded to sea tower that they were aborting the takeoff, and were instructed by sea tower to clear the runway. The first officer queried sea tower verifying air carrier Z cleared into position and hold runway 34R at intersection Q. The sea tower did not respond. A different controller came on the radio and cleared air carrier Y for takeoff on runway 34R and then cleared our aircraft (air carrier Z) for takeoff on runway 34L. Nothing else was said. Supplemental information from acn 374636: tower cleared an aircraft for 'position and hold runway 34R.' I responded this call with 'air carrier Z position and hold runway 34R at intersection Q.' the tower did not respond. Factors contributing to this situation were similar call signs and ATC's failure to monitor readbacks and the runway environment. Air carrier Z and air carrier Y had 3 numbers in common in sequence. In addition my crew had previously flown, that, day, numbers 1234, 1235, and 1236. This was a factor in me responding to the call sign. The failure of ATC to monitor my readback of their instructions was also a factor.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLTDEV WHEN COMMUTER BE02 CROSSED THE ACTIVE RWY WHILE AN MD80 WAS ON TKOF ROLL. THE MD80 ABORTED. THE LCL CTLR HAD PUT A COMPANY ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN TO THE COMMUTER IN POS ON THE SAME RWY AS THE MD80.

Narrative: ACR X WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. ACR Y WAS PUT INTO POS AND HOLD (BOTH ON RWY 34R) WITH A FURTHER STATEMENT OF 'AT THE S END.' ACR Z WAS APCHING INTXN Q, NOT TALKING TO ME AND CROSSED THE RWY WITHOUT AUTH BY ME. ACR X ABORTED HIS DEP. I FEEL THAT 3 PEOPLE MISSED THE READBACK BY ACR Z. HOWEVER, SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS AND THE PLT NOT LISTENING TO THE XMISSION CONFIRMING THAT HE WAS AT INTXN Q AND NOT AT THE S END. ACR Z HAD ALREADY BEEN ALMOST CLR OF RWY 34 BTWN THE RWYS WHEN ACR X HAD STOPPED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 374635: THE CREW OF ACR Z WAS INSTRUCTED BY SEA GND TO TAXI TO RWY 34R AT INTXN Q. I WAS THE CAPT TAXIING THE ACFT AND THE FO PERFORMED THE DUTIES OF THE CHKLIST AND RADIO CALLS. WE HAD JUST COMPLETED OUR PREFLT CHKS AS WE APCHED INTXN Q. THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT AT THE APCH END OF RWY 34R INCLUDING ACR Y WHO WAS AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 34R FULL LENGTH. THE FO RESPONDED TO A RADIO CALL FROM SEA TWR, 'ACR Z CLRED POS AND HOLD RWY 34R AT INTXN Q.' SEA TWR DID NOT RESPOND TO THIS. I (THE CAPT) BEGAN TAXIING THE ACFT ONTO THE RWY AT INTXN Q. I VISUALIZED APPARENT MOVEMENT FROM AN ACR X MD80. I PWRED THE ACFT ACROSS RWY 34R TO THE HOLD SHORT LINES OF RWY 34L, BTWN THE 2 RWYS CLR OF BOTH RWYS. ACR X RESPONDED TO SEA TWR THAT THEY WERE ABORTING THE TKOF, AND WERE INSTRUCTED BY SEA TWR TO CLR THE RWY. THE FO QUERIED SEA TWR VERIFYING ACR Z CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 34R AT INTXN Q. THE SEA TWR DID NOT RESPOND. A DIFFERENT CTLR CAME ON THE RADIO AND CLRED ACR Y FOR TKOF ON RWY 34R AND THEN CLRED OUR ACFT (ACR Z) FOR TKOF ON RWY 34L. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 374636: TWR CLRED AN ACFT FOR 'POS AND HOLD RWY 34R.' I RESPONDED THIS CALL WITH 'ACR Z POS AND HOLD RWY 34R AT INTXN Q.' THE TWR DID NOT RESPOND. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS SIT WERE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS AND ATC'S FAILURE TO MONITOR READBACKS AND THE RWY ENVIRONMENT. ACR Z AND ACR Y HAD 3 NUMBERS IN COMMON IN SEQUENCE. IN ADDITION MY CREW HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN, THAT, DAY, NUMBERS 1234, 1235, AND 1236. THIS WAS A FACTOR IN ME RESPONDING TO THE CALL SIGN. THE FAILURE OF ATC TO MONITOR MY READBACK OF THEIR INSTRUCTIONS WAS ALSO A FACTOR.

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.