Narrative:

I realize that the controllers have an incredibly demanding job. So do the pilots. It would really help both groups if we each assume the other is doing the best they can with what they have to work with at the time, and that each other with professional courtesy. Twice on the trip, ord approach controllers snapped angrily at us. It would have been very easy to snap back, but that behavior would have been as unprofessional as that displayed toward us. In the first case, we were working with departure control. They were working 2 flts with very similarly annunciated company names and we had no idea the other aircraft was also there. Frankly, we never did hear them, so I'm not even sure they were on the same frequency as we were. We were not told about a similar call sign, and we answered for them a couple of times because the clearance made sense for us. Another controller's voice came on and snapped 'air carrier XXXX, a different air carrier XXXX is also on frequency. Listen up.' many replies came to mind, but they would have served no purpose other than personal satisfaction. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: report sent to company. So far, no feedback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: S80 PIC QUESTIONS C90'S UNPROFESSIONAL RESPONSE INVOLVING INCORRECT READBACKS WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN COMPANY ACFT ON A SEPARATE FREQ.

Narrative: I REALIZE THAT THE CTLRS HAVE AN INCREDIBLY DEMANDING JOB. SO DO THE PLTS. IT WOULD REALLY HELP BOTH GROUPS IF WE EACH ASSUME THE OTHER IS DOING THE BEST THEY CAN WITH WHAT THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH AT THE TIME, AND THAT EACH OTHER WITH PROFESSIONAL COURTESY. TWICE ON THE TRIP, ORD APCH CTLRS SNAPPED ANGRILY AT US. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY EASY TO SNAP BACK, BUT THAT BEHAVIOR WOULD HAVE BEEN AS UNPROFESSIONAL AS THAT DISPLAYED TOWARD US. IN THE FIRST CASE, WE WERE WORKING WITH DEP CTL. THEY WERE WORKING 2 FLTS WITH VERY SIMILARLY ANNUNCIATED COMPANY NAMES AND WE HAD NO IDEA THE OTHER ACFT WAS ALSO THERE. FRANKLY, WE NEVER DID HEAR THEM, SO I'M NOT EVEN SURE THEY WERE ON THE SAME FREQ AS WE WERE. WE WERE NOT TOLD ABOUT A SIMILAR CALL SIGN, AND WE ANSWERED FOR THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES BECAUSE THE CLRNC MADE SENSE FOR US. ANOTHER CTLR'S VOICE CAME ON AND SNAPPED 'ACR XXXX, A DIFFERENT ACR XXXX IS ALSO ON FREQ. LISTEN UP.' MANY REPLIES CAME TO MIND, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE SERVED NO PURPOSE OTHER THAN PERSONAL SATISFACTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPT SENT TO COMPANY. SO FAR, NO FEEDBACK.

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.