Narrative:

I was participating in a training activity at yeager field in charleston, wv. There were several other aircraft there, all with similar call signs. After the day's activities (all classroom -- no flying), I obtained a WX briefing and filed a VFR flight plan for the return trip home. The FSS specialist remarked that he thought that he already gave a briefing for my aircraft. After preflight, myself and 2 other commercially rated pilots boarded the aircraft. After copying ATIS, I called clearance delivery for a VFR flight to mrb. Was told cleared as filed and given an altitude, transponder squawk, and departure frequency. I subsequently called ground and was cleared to taxi to runway 33. I taxied to the hold short line on taxiway B at the approach end of runway 33. We heard ground calling 'aircraft holding in sequence' but we didn't respond since he already knew our call sign as he cleared us to taxi. There were no other aircraft holding in front of us but others were taxiing out behind us. After completing the run-up, I called the tower for takeoff clearance. Was promptly told that the next time we needed to call ground before taxiing to the runway. I told the controller that I did receive taxi clearance from ground. He stated that he was the ground controller as well as tower controller. I conferred with my fellow pilots on board who confirmed that we were given taxi clearance. This was relayed back to the controller. After takeoff, departure control directed us to proceed on course, which we did. I then opened my VFR flight plan with FSS. Approaching 5500 ft MSL, I told departure control that I would be leveling off at that altitude. The controller questioned why I was leveling off at that altitude on an IFR flight plan. I informed the controller that I filed a VFR flight plan, not IFR. The controller stated that he had an IFR flight plan for our aircraft with a notation 'student pilot' in the remarks section. I radioed back and told the controller that I filed VFR and there were no student pilots on board this aircraft. Immediately, another pilot whose voice I recognize, came on the frequency and said 'sorry, that's my fault.' after the flight, I found out that the pilot of the second aircraft, who normally flies the aircraft I was in, did file an IFR flight plan but mistakenly used my aircraft call sign when filing. Contributing factors to this situation include: several aircraft in the area with similar call sign, and instrument pilot filing a flight plan using the wrong call sign. It is said that hindsight is 20/20. Reflecting back, I should have questioned the FSS specialist further when he mentioned that he thought he just briefed the pilot of my aircraft. I just assumed he was confused with pilots of many aircraft with very similar call signs calling for briefings at about the same time. I also should have been suspicious when clearance delivery cleared us 'as filed,' how did he know how we filed on a VFR flight plan?

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT FILED IFR CLRNC FOR WRONG ACFT RADIO CALL SIGN.

Narrative: I WAS PARTICIPATING IN A TRAINING ACTIVITY AT YEAGER FIELD IN CHARLESTON, WV. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER ACFT THERE, ALL WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. AFTER THE DAY'S ACTIVITIES (ALL CLASSROOM -- NO FLYING), I OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING AND FILED A VFR FLT PLAN FOR THE RETURN TRIP HOME. THE FSS SPECIALIST REMARKED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT HE ALREADY GAVE A BRIEFING FOR MY ACFT. AFTER PREFLT, MYSELF AND 2 OTHER COMMERCIALLY RATED PLTS BOARDED THE ACFT. AFTER COPYING ATIS, I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY FOR A VFR FLT TO MRB. WAS TOLD CLRED AS FILED AND GIVEN AN ALT, XPONDER SQUAWK, AND DEP FREQ. I SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED GND AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 33. I TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON TXWY B AT THE APCH END OF RWY 33. WE HEARD GND CALLING 'ACFT HOLDING IN SEQUENCE' BUT WE DIDN'T RESPOND SINCE HE ALREADY KNEW OUR CALL SIGN AS HE CLRED US TO TAXI. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT HOLDING IN FRONT OF US BUT OTHERS WERE TAXIING OUT BEHIND US. AFTER COMPLETING THE RUN-UP, I CALLED THE TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC. WAS PROMPTLY TOLD THAT THE NEXT TIME WE NEEDED TO CALL GND BEFORE TAXIING TO THE RWY. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I DID RECEIVE TAXI CLRNC FROM GND. HE STATED THAT HE WAS THE GND CTLR AS WELL AS TWR CTLR. I CONFERRED WITH MY FELLOW PLTS ON BOARD WHO CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE GIVEN TAXI CLRNC. THIS WAS RELAYED BACK TO THE CTLR. AFTER TKOF, DEP CTL DIRECTED US TO PROCEED ON COURSE, WHICH WE DID. I THEN OPENED MY VFR FLT PLAN WITH FSS. APCHING 5500 FT MSL, I TOLD DEP CTL THAT I WOULD BE LEVELING OFF AT THAT ALT. THE CTLR QUESTIONED WHY I WAS LEVELING OFF AT THAT ALT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN, NOT IFR. THE CTLR STATED THAT HE HAD AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR OUR ACFT WITH A NOTATION 'STUDENT PLT' IN THE REMARKS SECTION. I RADIOED BACK AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT I FILED VFR AND THERE WERE NO STUDENT PLTS ON BOARD THIS ACFT. IMMEDIATELY, ANOTHER PLT WHOSE VOICE I RECOGNIZE, CAME ON THE FREQ AND SAID 'SORRY, THAT'S MY FAULT.' AFTER THE FLT, I FOUND OUT THAT THE PLT OF THE SECOND ACFT, WHO NORMALLY FLIES THE ACFT I WAS IN, DID FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN BUT MISTAKENLY USED MY ACFT CALL SIGN WHEN FILING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS SIT INCLUDE: SEVERAL ACFT IN THE AREA WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN, AND INST PLT FILING A FLT PLAN USING THE WRONG CALL SIGN. IT IS SAID THAT HINDSIGHT IS 20/20. REFLECTING BACK, I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE FSS SPECIALIST FURTHER WHEN HE MENTIONED THAT HE THOUGHT HE JUST BRIEFED THE PLT OF MY ACFT. I JUST ASSUMED HE WAS CONFUSED WITH PLTS OF MANY ACFT WITH VERY SIMILAR CALL SIGNS CALLING FOR BRIEFINGS AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUSPICIOUS WHEN CLRNC DELIVERY CLRED US 'AS FILED,' HOW DID HE KNOW HOW WE FILED ON A VFR FLT PLAN?

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.