Narrative:

At phl waiting for takeoff. Aircraft Y was at full length of runway 35. Aircraft X (our aircraft) was at runway 35, intersection K. A jet aircraft (type unknown) was landing on runway 27R between the 2 aircraft. Another aircraft was landing on runway 35 behind the aircraft landing on runway 27R. I heard phl tower say 'aircraft X, can you take an immediate takeoff?' (the first officer says he did not hear that call.) I told the first officer to tell the tower we could take the immediate takeoff. The first officer replied that we could take it. I think the radio transmission was blocked by aircraft Y because the controller then said 'aircraft X, can you or can you not take the immediate?' we once again said we could. The tower then said 'affirmative, that is what I needed to hear. Aircraft X cleared for an immediate takeoff.' as we taxied onto the runway 35, I thought 'I hate to turn on my landing lights and blind the pilots landing on runway 27R,' since they were now on about a 1/4 mi final. As we were about ready to apply takeoff power, the controller said 'aircraft X, are you cleared for takeoff?' I knew that this was not our call sign. I also realized that things could get bad if aircraft Y tried to take off behind us with the aircraft on about a 1 mi final for runway 35. I decided to taxi back clear of runway 35 to be out of the way till things got cleared up. Aircraft Y said something -- I don't know what. Phl tower then said 'am I talking to aircraft X or aircraft Y?' aircraft Y said 'he took our call.' phl tower then said 'aircraft Y cleared for immediate takeoff.' since I had already committed to taxiing clear, I called back 'aircraft X is taxiing clear of the active runway 35.' phl tower said 'confirm aircraft X is clear of runway 35.' I responded 'affirmative, aircraft X is clear of runway 35.' by this time we were over the hold line. The aircraft landing runway 35 asked if they were cleared to land. Phl tower reclred them to land. They landed. Aircraft Y was cleared for takeoff. Then we (aircraft X) were cleared for takeoff. I think aircraft Y took our immediate takeoff call causing tower to not hear our readbacks. At first, it made no sense to clear aircraft X for an immediate takeoff because of the aircraft landing on runway 27R. Tower then mixed up our call signs causing more confusion. As we departed, tower said to us we should tell our company about these 2 call signs being confusing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC8 FLC EXIT RWY AS QUESTIONS ARISE CAUSED BY SIMILAR CALL SIGNS WHEN PHL ATTEMPTS TO DEPART ACFT DURING MULTIPLE LNDGS TO INTERSECTING RWYS.

Narrative: AT PHL WAITING FOR TKOF. ACFT Y WAS AT FULL LENGTH OF RWY 35. ACFT X (OUR ACFT) WAS AT RWY 35, INTXN K. A JET ACFT (TYPE UNKNOWN) WAS LNDG ON RWY 27R BTWN THE 2 ACFT. ANOTHER ACFT WAS LNDG ON RWY 35 BEHIND THE ACFT LNDG ON RWY 27R. I HEARD PHL TWR SAY 'ACFT X, CAN YOU TAKE AN IMMEDIATE TKOF?' (THE FO SAYS HE DID NOT HEAR THAT CALL.) I TOLD THE FO TO TELL THE TWR WE COULD TAKE THE IMMEDIATE TKOF. THE FO REPLIED THAT WE COULD TAKE IT. I THINK THE RADIO XMISSION WAS BLOCKED BY ACFT Y BECAUSE THE CTLR THEN SAID 'ACFT X, CAN YOU OR CAN YOU NOT TAKE THE IMMEDIATE?' WE ONCE AGAIN SAID WE COULD. THE TWR THEN SAID 'AFFIRMATIVE, THAT IS WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR. ACFT X CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF.' AS WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY 35, I THOUGHT 'I HATE TO TURN ON MY LNDG LIGHTS AND BLIND THE PLTS LNDG ON RWY 27R,' SINCE THEY WERE NOW ON ABOUT A 1/4 MI FINAL. AS WE WERE ABOUT READY TO APPLY TKOF PWR, THE CTLR SAID 'ACFT X, ARE YOU CLRED FOR TKOF?' I KNEW THAT THIS WAS NOT OUR CALL SIGN. I ALSO REALIZED THAT THINGS COULD GET BAD IF ACFT Y TRIED TO TAKE OFF BEHIND US WITH THE ACFT ON ABOUT A 1 MI FINAL FOR RWY 35. I DECIDED TO TAXI BACK CLR OF RWY 35 TO BE OUT OF THE WAY TILL THINGS GOT CLRED UP. ACFT Y SAID SOMETHING -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT. PHL TWR THEN SAID 'AM I TALKING TO ACFT X OR ACFT Y?' ACFT Y SAID 'HE TOOK OUR CALL.' PHL TWR THEN SAID 'ACFT Y CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF.' SINCE I HAD ALREADY COMMITTED TO TAXIING CLR, I CALLED BACK 'ACFT X IS TAXIING CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY 35.' PHL TWR SAID 'CONFIRM ACFT X IS CLR OF RWY 35.' I RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE, ACFT X IS CLR OF RWY 35.' BY THIS TIME WE WERE OVER THE HOLD LINE. THE ACFT LNDG RWY 35 ASKED IF THEY WERE CLRED TO LAND. PHL TWR RECLRED THEM TO LAND. THEY LANDED. ACFT Y WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. THEN WE (ACFT X) WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. I THINK ACFT Y TOOK OUR IMMEDIATE TKOF CALL CAUSING TWR TO NOT HEAR OUR READBACKS. AT FIRST, IT MADE NO SENSE TO CLR ACFT X FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF BECAUSE OF THE ACFT LNDG ON RWY 27R. TWR THEN MIXED UP OUR CALL SIGNS CAUSING MORE CONFUSION. AS WE DEPARTED, TWR SAID TO US WE SHOULD TELL OUR COMPANY ABOUT THESE 2 CALL SIGNS BEING CONFUSING.

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.