Narrative:

I was sitting on the ramp at an FBO. A medium passenger jet was nearby on the same ramp. The pilot of the jet told the controller he was ready to taxi and the reply was 'taxi to runway 10.' after the jet had passed in front of me, I called the tower and reported I was ready to taxi. Evidently the last numbers of our 2 planes were very similar because he told me to 'taxi to runway 10' also. This would have put both of us on the runway at the same time. I stopped at the run-up lines to runway 10, while he cleared the jet to depart. The controller then asked how I got to where I was. I answered that he told me to taxi to runway 10. Several questions later, he asked my destination and cleared me to take off runway 10. Just after liftoff, the controller told me to make a left downwind departure. I turned left and began climbing to 3000 ft (assigned altitude) when the controller told me I was on the wrong side of the runway. Fast approaching what I deemed to be a thunderstorm, I asked for a lower altitude to go under the clouds. He told me to turn to 360 degrees and descend at my discretion, which I did -- skirting the rain and clouds. Thereafter, he handed me off to departure. He told me to brush up on my controled field flying. Even now, I still believe that the controller told me a 'left downwind departure.' before the 360 degree turn, the controller told me to turn to 260 degrees, putting me right in line to go into the clouds and rain. This 260 degree turn took me out of the maxwell AFB control zone. It would have put me right in line with the thunderstorm. Next trip, I will wait out an approaching storm.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT RPTED CONFUSION DURING TAXI AND DEP FROM MGM, DUE TO SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS AND PLT INEXPERIENCE AT TWRED ARPTS.

Narrative: I WAS SITTING ON THE RAMP AT AN FBO. A MEDIUM PAX JET WAS NEARBY ON THE SAME RAMP. THE PLT OF THE JET TOLD THE CTLR HE WAS READY TO TAXI AND THE REPLY WAS 'TAXI TO RWY 10.' AFTER THE JET HAD PASSED IN FRONT OF ME, I CALLED THE TWR AND RPTED I WAS READY TO TAXI. EVIDENTLY THE LAST NUMBERS OF OUR 2 PLANES WERE VERY SIMILAR BECAUSE HE TOLD ME TO 'TAXI TO RWY 10' ALSO. THIS WOULD HAVE PUT BOTH OF US ON THE RWY AT THE SAME TIME. I STOPPED AT THE RUN-UP LINES TO RWY 10, WHILE HE CLRED THE JET TO DEPART. THE CTLR THEN ASKED HOW I GOT TO WHERE I WAS. I ANSWERED THAT HE TOLD ME TO TAXI TO RWY 10. SEVERAL QUESTIONS LATER, HE ASKED MY DEST AND CLRED ME TO TAKE OFF RWY 10. JUST AFTER LIFTOFF, THE CTLR TOLD ME TO MAKE A L DOWNWIND DEP. I TURNED L AND BEGAN CLBING TO 3000 FT (ASSIGNED ALT) WHEN THE CTLR TOLD ME I WAS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RWY. FAST APCHING WHAT I DEEMED TO BE A TSTM, I ASKED FOR A LOWER ALT TO GO UNDER THE CLOUDS. HE TOLD ME TO TURN TO 360 DEGS AND DSND AT MY DISCRETION, WHICH I DID -- SKIRTING THE RAIN AND CLOUDS. THEREAFTER, HE HANDED ME OFF TO DEP. HE TOLD ME TO BRUSH UP ON MY CTLED FIELD FLYING. EVEN NOW, I STILL BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR TOLD ME A 'L DOWNWIND DEP.' BEFORE THE 360 DEG TURN, THE CTLR TOLD ME TO TURN TO 260 DEGS, PUTTING ME RIGHT IN LINE TO GO INTO THE CLOUDS AND RAIN. THIS 260 DEG TURN TOOK ME OUT OF THE MAXWELL AFB CTL ZONE. IT WOULD HAVE PUT ME RIGHT IN LINE WITH THE TSTM. NEXT TRIP, I WILL WAIT OUT AN APCHING STORM.

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.