Narrative:

Departing phx, phx tower cleared aircraft X into position and hold and be ready for takeoff. Prior to receiving the clearance, an aircraft Z had just landed and took a longer than usual time exiting the runway. Tower cleared aircraft X for takeoff. During aircraft X takeoff roll, tower instructed aircraft Y to go around and parallel the runway. During climb out about 400-800 ft, tower instructed aircraft X to turn to a heading of 220 degrees and maintain 4000 ft. Passing through 240 degrees, tower then instructed aircraft X to turn back to a 260 degree or runway heading. Once established on a 260 degree heading, tower said resume the buckeye departure and contact departure. Aircraft X originally was assigned the dryheat 1 climb and maintain 7000 ft. Once with departure, departure instructed aircraft X to turn to a 240 degree heading, resume the dryheat 1 departure, climb and maintain 15000 ft. The contributing factors to the problem were the aircraft Z in rollout did not exit the runway soon enough, similar call signs of aircraft X and aircraft Y, the tower not alerting aircraft X and aircraft Y of similar call signs, and confusing himself, among others. Supplemental information from acn 472395: contributing factors: similar call sign. Aircraft Y had to be closer than 8 NM final. Aircraft Z long rollout. Tower and departure issued 2 or more clrncs to aircraft X that were to wrong aircraft. No heads up by ATC as to similar call signs. Human factors: with dryheat SID the clearance for aircraft X seemed reasonable to continue left 20 degrees, beyond 240 degrees, and maintain lower altitude of 4000 ft versus 7000 ft. Several clrncs were issued in rapid succession to wrong aircraft. FMS/MCP/tmc automation inputs were slow to be initiated due to visual traffic search and ATC transition and call sign problems. Corrective actions: 1) ATC have plan of action for missed approach/go around. 2) ATC alert similar call signs. 3) ATC issue aircraft #1 maintain runway heading clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIMILAR CALL SIGNS AND A LONG LNDG ROLL CAUSE A GAR AND CONFUSION IN THE DEP AREA AT PHX, AZ.

Narrative: DEPARTING PHX, PHX TWR CLRED ACFT X INTO POS AND HOLD AND BE READY FOR TKOF. PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE CLRNC, AN ACFT Z HAD JUST LANDED AND TOOK A LONGER THAN USUAL TIME EXITING THE RWY. TWR CLRED ACFT X FOR TKOF. DURING ACFT X TKOF ROLL, TWR INSTRUCTED ACFT Y TO GO AROUND AND PARALLEL THE RWY. DURING CLBOUT ABOUT 400-800 FT, TWR INSTRUCTED ACFT X TO TURN TO A HDG OF 220 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. PASSING THROUGH 240 DEGS, TWR THEN INSTRUCTED ACFT X TO TURN BACK TO A 260 DEG OR RWY HDG. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON A 260 DEG HDG, TWR SAID RESUME THE BUCKEYE DEP AND CONTACT DEP. ACFT X ORIGINALLY WAS ASSIGNED THE DRYHEAT 1 CLB AND MAINTAIN 7000 FT. ONCE WITH DEP, DEP INSTRUCTED ACFT X TO TURN TO A 240 DEG HDG, RESUME THE DRYHEAT 1 DEP, CLB AND MAINTAIN 15000 FT. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE PROB WERE THE ACFT Z IN ROLLOUT DID NOT EXIT THE RWY SOON ENOUGH, SIMILAR CALL SIGNS OF ACFT X AND ACFT Y, THE TWR NOT ALERTING ACFT X AND ACFT Y OF SIMILAR CALL SIGNS, AND CONFUSING HIMSELF, AMONG OTHERS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 472395: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SIMILAR CALL SIGN. ACFT Y HAD TO BE CLOSER THAN 8 NM FINAL. ACFT Z LONG ROLLOUT. TWR AND DEP ISSUED 2 OR MORE CLRNCS TO ACFT X THAT WERE TO WRONG ACFT. NO HEADS UP BY ATC AS TO SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. HUMAN FACTORS: WITH DRYHEAT SID THE CLRNC FOR ACFT X SEEMED REASONABLE TO CONTINUE L 20 DEGS, BEYOND 240 DEGS, AND MAINTAIN LOWER ALT OF 4000 FT VERSUS 7000 FT. SEVERAL CLRNCS WERE ISSUED IN RAPID SUCCESSION TO WRONG ACFT. FMS/MCP/TMC AUTOMATION INPUTS WERE SLOW TO BE INITIATED DUE TO VISUAL TFC SEARCH AND ATC TRANSITION AND CALL SIGN PROBS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) ATC HAVE PLAN OF ACTION FOR MISSED APCH/GAR. 2) ATC ALERT SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. 3) ATC ISSUE ACFT #1 MAINTAIN RWY HDG CLRNC.

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.