Narrative:

We were readying for takeoff from runway 31L when turned over to the tower frequency. The local controller either spoke with a thick accent, or his radio was poor, or both. After a B747 arrival, we were cleared 'into position and hold' (or so we thought). It sounded as if the first part of each transmission from the tower was either cut off, or muffled. There was another aircraft on final and cleared to land on the same runway, but this was normal practice at this airport. After being in position for a short time, and not getting takeoff clearance, the pilot of an arriving aircraft called to verify that he was in fact cleared to land on the same runway. 3 separate times the controller stated to him that he was 'cleared to land.' the other pilot remarked that there was an aircraft on the runway (ours) and the controller then instructed him to go around. During this time, the same controller was working traffic on the parallel runway. As it turned out, the clearance into position was meant for the departing traffic on the other runway. Although my first officer read back the clearance, it seemed the controller did not look out the window to verify who was going where. The other departure was another of our company's and had a flight number of X while ours was Y. This was at a large airport where it was not possible to see the other aircraft. Before issuing a takeoff clearance to us, the tower controller informed us that we took a clearance that was intended for another aircraft 'with a similar sounding call sign.' if the controller had made us aware that another aircraft was on the same frequency with a nearly identical call sign, we would have questioned the clearance, but at the time we thought that we were alone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT TWR CTLR BECAME CONFUSED WITH THE SAME COMPANY SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS AND TAXIED RPTR'S ATR42 INTO POS ON THE WRONG PARALLEL RWY TO HOLD WITH LNDG TFC ON FINAL. THE CTLR GAVE A GAR TO THE ACFT ON FINAL AFTER REALIZING HIS MISTAKE.

Narrative: WE WERE READYING FOR TKOF FROM RWY 31L WHEN TURNED OVER TO THE TWR FREQ. THE LCL CTLR EITHER SPOKE WITH A THICK ACCENT, OR HIS RADIO WAS POOR, OR BOTH. AFTER A B747 ARR, WE WERE CLRED 'INTO POS AND HOLD' (OR SO WE THOUGHT). IT SOUNDED AS IF THE FIRST PART OF EACH XMISSION FROM THE TWR WAS EITHER CUT OFF, OR MUFFLED. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL AND CLRED TO LAND ON THE SAME RWY, BUT THIS WAS NORMAL PRACTICE AT THIS ARPT. AFTER BEING IN POS FOR A SHORT TIME, AND NOT GETTING TKOF CLRNC, THE PLT OF AN ARRIVING ACFT CALLED TO VERIFY THAT HE WAS IN FACT CLRED TO LAND ON THE SAME RWY. 3 SEPARATE TIMES THE CTLR STATED TO HIM THAT HE WAS 'CLRED TO LAND.' THE OTHER PLT REMARKED THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE RWY (OURS) AND THE CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED HIM TO GAR. DURING THIS TIME, THE SAME CTLR WAS WORKING TFC ON THE PARALLEL RWY. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE CLRNC INTO POS WAS MEANT FOR THE DEPARTING TFC ON THE OTHER RWY. ALTHOUGH MY FO READ BACK THE CLRNC, IT SEEMED THE CTLR DID NOT LOOK OUT THE WINDOW TO VERIFY WHO WAS GOING WHERE. THE OTHER DEP WAS ANOTHER OF OUR COMPANY'S AND HAD A FLT NUMBER OF X WHILE OURS WAS Y. THIS WAS AT A LARGE ARPT WHERE IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO SEE THE OTHER ACFT. BEFORE ISSUING A TKOF CLRNC TO US, THE TWR CTLR INFORMED US THAT WE TOOK A CLRNC THAT WAS INTENDED FOR ANOTHER ACFT 'WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN.' IF THE CTLR HAD MADE US AWARE THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON THE SAME FREQ WITH A NEARLY IDENTICAL CALL SIGN, WE WOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CLRNC, BUT AT THE TIME WE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE ALONE.

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.