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Air carrier starts takeoff at hou, tx, after accepting a clearance for a company aircraft with a similar call sign. Rejected takeoff was the result.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 460946 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200001 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hou.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : position and hold ground : takeoff roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : hou.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : takeoff roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 10000 |
| ASRS Report | 460946 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : rejected takeoff |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Tower gave us 'company xyz position and hold runway 12R for spacing.' as we set brake, we thought we heard 'company xyz, right turn, right turn you are cleared for takeoff.' I responded, 'company xyz right turn, right turn cleared for takeoff runway 12R.' we next heard 'tower, company xxz, verify that clearance was for us.' we aborted immediately (from taxi speed) and called 'company xyz aborting.' tower instructed us to clear to right and taxi back to end, which we did. Company xxz took off and then we did. Factors: 1) it appears we took their similar call sign. We made a mistake. 2) taxiing out, we were told to anticipate a left turn. The 'right turn, right turn' helped to suck us in. 3) we were not told 'traffic departing crossing runway' when we were put in position. 4) the tower did not state the runway to my knowledge. After a similar incident at hobby 13 yrs ago (I was the cleared one), I started always using call sign and runway on tower frequency. If we all used call sign and runway on tower frequency, would it not be a step in the right direction to avoid such incidents? I even mentioned this to the director of training at the company 2 months ago. He liked the idea and said he would look into it. Bottom line: we screwed up. Company xxz saved our tails. More heads up in the future is the answer besides maybe call sign and runway, too.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR STARTS TKOF AT HOU, TX, AFTER ACCEPTING A CLRNC FOR A COMPANY ACFT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN. REJECTED TKOF WAS THE RESULT.
Narrative: TWR GAVE US 'COMPANY XYZ POS AND HOLD RWY 12R FOR SPACING.' AS WE SET BRAKE, WE THOUGHT WE HEARD 'COMPANY XYZ, R TURN, R TURN YOU ARE CLRED FOR TKOF.' I RESPONDED, 'COMPANY XYZ R TURN, R TURN CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 12R.' WE NEXT HEARD 'TWR, COMPANY XXZ, VERIFY THAT CLRNC WAS FOR US.' WE ABORTED IMMEDIATELY (FROM TAXI SPD) AND CALLED 'COMPANY XYZ ABORTING.' TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CLR TO R AND TAXI BACK TO END, WHICH WE DID. COMPANY XXZ TOOK OFF AND THEN WE DID. FACTORS: 1) IT APPEARS WE TOOK THEIR SIMILAR CALL SIGN. WE MADE A MISTAKE. 2) TAXIING OUT, WE WERE TOLD TO ANTICIPATE A L TURN. THE 'R TURN, R TURN' HELPED TO SUCK US IN. 3) WE WERE NOT TOLD 'TFC DEPARTING XING RWY' WHEN WE WERE PUT IN POS. 4) THE TWR DID NOT STATE THE RWY TO MY KNOWLEDGE. AFTER A SIMILAR INCIDENT AT HOBBY 13 YRS AGO (I WAS THE CLRED ONE), I STARTED ALWAYS USING CALL SIGN AND RWY ON TWR FREQ. IF WE ALL USED CALL SIGN AND RWY ON TWR FREQ, WOULD IT NOT BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO AVOID SUCH INCIDENTS? I EVEN MENTIONED THIS TO THE DIRECTOR OF TRAINING AT THE COMPANY 2 MONTHS AGO. HE LIKED THE IDEA AND SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT. BOTTOM LINE: WE SCREWED UP. COMPANY XXZ SAVED OUR TAILS. MORE HEADS UP IN THE FUTURE IS THE ANSWER BESIDES MAYBE CALL SIGN AND RWY, TOO.
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.