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A flight crew in a twin engine turboprop air carrier crossed a runway at the same time as a company aircraft with a similar call sign crossed and this flight crew may have done so in error.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 433480 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199904 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : dfw.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 5500 |
| ASRS Report | 433480 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
While waiting to cross an active runway we heard the tower controller start issuing clrncs to cross. We heard our flight number and crossed the runway. My first officer read the clearance back, at almost the same time another company aircraft read back a crossing clearance with a very similar flight number. No one really questioned the controller and we were not questioned either. The controller was talking so fast that you could not get a word in if you tried. Nothing was said and I don't believe the controller caught the similar call signs. I think to prevent this from happening in the future, the controllers need to slow down, especially at an airport with that much traffic. I've seen this happen more than once. Also the company I work for needs to do something about these similar sounding flight numbers or this is just going to keep happening. Not only will this prevent a runway incursion, but also a violation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A FLC IN A TWIN ENG TURBOPROP ACR CROSSED A RWY AT THE SAME TIME AS A COMPANY ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN CROSSED AND THIS FLC MAY HAVE DONE SO IN ERROR.
Narrative: WHILE WAITING TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY WE HEARD THE TWR CTLR START ISSUING CLRNCS TO CROSS. WE HEARD OUR FLT NUMBER AND CROSSED THE RWY. MY FO READ THE CLRNC BACK, AT ALMOST THE SAME TIME ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT READ BACK A XING CLRNC WITH A VERY SIMILAR FLT NUMBER. NO ONE REALLY QUESTIONED THE CTLR AND WE WERE NOT QUESTIONED EITHER. THE CTLR WAS TALKING SO FAST THAT YOU COULD NOT GET A WORD IN IF YOU TRIED. NOTHING WAS SAID AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE CTLR CAUGHT THE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. I THINK TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE, THE CTLRS NEED TO SLOW DOWN, ESPECIALLY AT AN ARPT WITH THAT MUCH TFC. I'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN MORE THAN ONCE. ALSO THE COMPANY I WORK FOR NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE SIMILAR SOUNDING FLT NUMBERS OR THIS IS JUST GOING TO KEEP HAPPENING. NOT ONLY WILL THIS PREVENT A RWY INCURSION, BUT ALSO A VIOLATION.
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.