Narrative:

We were told to position and hold on runway 9 in bos. As we were completing the before takeoff checklist, we heard aircraft xyz, our call sign, cleared for immediate takeoff. The first officer acknowledged this clearance, so without further radio xmissions, I advanced the power levers. As we started our roll, the first officer said there was an air carrier B737 on runway 4R, which I just saw as he said it. I initiated an aborted takeoff. It was before 70 KTS, and the controller shouted 'aircraft xyz stop!' I stopped the aircraft short of the intersection. Air carrier also aborted their takeoff. We were told to taxi back to the threshold and given a number to call upon arrival at our destination. We departed bos without further incident. When I called the tower in bos, I was told by the supervisor that air carrier yyz was cleared for takeoff on runway 4, not us. He said that upon review of the tower tapes, our readback and air carrier readback had been blocked by each other. The controller read back our instructions, which we never heard, possibly due to cockpit noise and high workload at the initiation of our takeoff. Obviously, the 2 similar sounding call signs were a contributing factor to this situation, along with the use of intersecting runways for takeoff. Supplemental information from acn 421174: while captain was initiating takeoff we saw another air carrier aircraft rolling on runway 4R for purpose of takeoff. Those 2 runways cross each other in the first 1000 ft. We immediately called for abort, and at the same time the controller said on the radio 'aircraft xyz stop, stop!' we stopped the aircraft without crossing another runway. After talking on the telephone to tower, we were told that air carrier yyz was originally cleared for takeoff and it was a misunderstanding, so air carrier pilot and myself read back the clearance in same time, which created a block on the radio and that was a reason why we did not hear any further instructions. Supplemental information from acn 421372: our aircraft in position for takeoff on runway 4R. Traffic clearing at the end. Tower said 'be ready for an immediate.' in position for takeoff on runway 9. Tower controller is very busy, talking to several aircraft including us, but this is normal for boston. We see traffic clear our runway at the far end after landing, and we know this DC10 is behind us. Tower clears us for takeoff, first officer acknowledges takeoff clearance for runway 4R as we advance throttles. Tower says, 'I didn't hear you acknowledge,' so I acknowledged the clearance. When first officer pointed at the aircraft rolling towards us at the intersection of runways 9 and 4R, tower told them to abort, but I initiated abort as well, unsure of their ability and/or intention to stop. Both aircraft stopped prior to the intersection. If at night or reduced visibility, there almost certainly would have been a collision. Apparently, other aircraft accepted our takeoff clearance, but tower didn't know. All the tower knew was our initial readback was unreadable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE ABORTS AND A GAR WERE THE RESULT OF A GND CONFLICT AT BOS ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD TO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 9 IN BOS. AS WE WERE COMPLETING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, WE HEARD ACFT XYZ, OUR CALL SIGN, CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF. THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CLRNC, SO WITHOUT FURTHER RADIO XMISSIONS, I ADVANCED THE PWR LEVERS. AS WE STARTED OUR ROLL, THE FO SAID THERE WAS AN ACR B737 ON RWY 4R, WHICH I JUST SAW AS HE SAID IT. I INITIATED AN ABORTED TKOF. IT WAS BEFORE 70 KTS, AND THE CTLR SHOUTED 'ACFT XYZ STOP!' I STOPPED THE ACFT SHORT OF THE INTXN. ACR ALSO ABORTED THEIR TKOF. WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI BACK TO THE THRESHOLD AND GIVEN A NUMBER TO CALL UPON ARR AT OUR DEST. WE DEPARTED BOS WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WHEN I CALLED THE TWR IN BOS, I WAS TOLD BY THE SUPVR THAT ACR YYZ WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 4, NOT US. HE SAID THAT UPON REVIEW OF THE TWR TAPES, OUR READBACK AND ACR READBACK HAD BEEN BLOCKED BY EACH OTHER. THE CTLR READ BACK OUR INSTRUCTIONS, WHICH WE NEVER HEARD, POSSIBLY DUE TO COCKPIT NOISE AND HIGH WORKLOAD AT THE INITIATION OF OUR TKOF. OBVIOUSLY, THE 2 SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS WERE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS SIT, ALONG WITH THE USE OF INTERSECTING RWYS FOR TKOF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 421174: WHILE CAPT WAS INITIATING TKOF WE SAW ANOTHER ACR ACFT ROLLING ON RWY 4R FOR PURPOSE OF TKOF. THOSE 2 RWYS CROSS EACH OTHER IN THE FIRST 1000 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR ABORT, AND AT THE SAME TIME THE CTLR SAID ON THE RADIO 'ACFT XYZ STOP, STOP!' WE STOPPED THE ACFT WITHOUT XING ANOTHER RWY. AFTER TALKING ON THE TELEPHONE TO TWR, WE WERE TOLD THAT ACR YYZ WAS ORIGINALLY CLRED FOR TKOF AND IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING, SO ACR PLT AND MYSELF READ BACK THE CLRNC IN SAME TIME, WHICH CREATED A BLOCK ON THE RADIO AND THAT WAS A REASON WHY WE DID NOT HEAR ANY FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 421372: OUR ACFT IN POS FOR TKOF ON RWY 4R. TFC CLRING AT THE END. TWR SAID 'BE READY FOR AN IMMEDIATE.' IN POS FOR TKOF ON RWY 9. TWR CTLR IS VERY BUSY, TALKING TO SEVERAL ACFT INCLUDING US, BUT THIS IS NORMAL FOR BOSTON. WE SEE TFC CLR OUR RWY AT THE FAR END AFTER LNDG, AND WE KNOW THIS DC10 IS BEHIND US. TWR CLRS US FOR TKOF, FO ACKNOWLEDGES TKOF CLRNC FOR RWY 4R AS WE ADVANCE THROTTLES. TWR SAYS, 'I DIDN'T HEAR YOU ACKNOWLEDGE,' SO I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC. WHEN FO POINTED AT THE ACFT ROLLING TOWARDS US AT THE INTXN OF RWYS 9 AND 4R, TWR TOLD THEM TO ABORT, BUT I INITIATED ABORT AS WELL, UNSURE OF THEIR ABILITY AND/OR INTENTION TO STOP. BOTH ACFT STOPPED PRIOR TO THE INTXN. IF AT NIGHT OR REDUCED VISIBILITY, THERE ALMOST CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION. APPARENTLY, OTHER ACFT ACCEPTED OUR TKOF CLRNC, BUT TWR DIDN'T KNOW. ALL THE TWR KNEW WAS OUR INITIAL READBACK WAS UNREADABLE.

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.