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An E120 crew, departing sfo, was believed, by ATC, to be another aircraft with similar call sign and given clearance to take off. The mistake was discovered when second aircraft was cleared for takeoff using previous aircraft's call sign.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 538155 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200202 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sfo.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Brasilia EMB-120 All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : takeoff ground : takeoff roll ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sfo.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 : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 115 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 2750 |
| ASRS Report | 538155 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We were cleared to taxi to runway 1L in sfo. We were the only aircraft at the end of runway 1L when we got there. There was 1 other similar call sign aircraft (aircraft Y) taxiing out at the time, but they were still approximately 2 mins from reaching the end of the runway. The first officer and I both believed we heard our call sign when told to taxi into position and hold and we did so. An air carrier Z, B737, was cleared for takeoff from runway 1R and we were instructed to keep them in sight. We then believe we heard our call sign cleared for takeoff from runway 1L. On the climb out, we then heard tower clear our call sign into position and hold on runway 1L. (The only other aircraft being the similar sounding call sign who had finally reached the end of runway 1L.) I informed tower we were on the departure. Tower advised us to maintain runway heading and asked if we still had the B737 in sight (we did). We were handed off to departure without further incident. The first officer and I still don't know for sure exactly what happened, but we believe the clearance for takeoff was for the similar sounding call sign taxiing out, although they weren't ever on tower frequency yet. I think it was a combination of tower forgetting which aircraft was waiting at the end of runway 1L and us 'hearing' what we expected to hear. For both instructions (position and hold/cleared for takeoff) we responded with our call sign so if tower had meant them for the other aircraft, he didn't catch the readback either.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN E120 CREW, DEPARTING SFO, WAS BELIEVED, BY ATC, TO BE ANOTHER ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGN AND GIVEN CLRNC TO TAKE OFF. THE MISTAKE WAS DISCOVERED WHEN SECOND ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF USING PREVIOUS ACFT'S CALL SIGN.
Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 1L IN SFO. WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT AT THE END OF RWY 1L WHEN WE GOT THERE. THERE WAS 1 OTHER SIMILAR CALL SIGN ACFT (ACFT Y) TAXIING OUT AT THE TIME, BUT THEY WERE STILL APPROX 2 MINS FROM REACHING THE END OF THE RWY. THE FO AND I BOTH BELIEVED WE HEARD OUR CALL SIGN WHEN TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD AND WE DID SO. AN ACR Z, B737, WAS CLRED FOR TKOF FROM RWY 1R AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO KEEP THEM IN SIGHT. WE THEN BELIEVE WE HEARD OUR CALL SIGN CLRED FOR TKOF FROM RWY 1L. ON THE CLBOUT, WE THEN HEARD TWR CLR OUR CALL SIGN INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 1L. (THE ONLY OTHER ACFT BEING THE SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN WHO HAD FINALLY REACHED THE END OF RWY 1L.) I INFORMED TWR WE WERE ON THE DEP. TWR ADVISED US TO MAINTAIN RWY HEADING AND ASKED IF WE STILL HAD THE B737 IN SIGHT (WE DID). WE WERE HANDED OFF TO DEP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE FO AND I STILL DON'T KNOW FOR SURE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WE BELIEVE THE CLRNC FOR TKOF WAS FOR THE SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN TAXIING OUT, ALTHOUGH THEY WEREN'T EVER ON TWR FREQ YET. I THINK IT WAS A COMBINATION OF TWR FORGETTING WHICH ACFT WAS WAITING AT THE END OF RWY 1L AND US 'HEARING' WHAT WE EXPECTED TO HEAR. FOR BOTH INSTRUCTIONS (POS AND HOLD/CLRED FOR TKOF) WE RESPONDED WITH OUR CALL SIGN SO IF TWR HAD MEANT THEM FOR THE OTHER ACFT, HE DIDN'T CATCH THE READBACK EITHER.
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.