Narrative:

Got clearance to taxi to spot #1 in houston by air carrier X ramp control. Upon reaching spot #1, we were advised to call clearance. We talked to clearance and at spot #1, as flight abcd, we called ground on frequency 118.57. The controller on ground said 'air carrier X abcd, taxi to runway 15L via taxiway F, taxiway a, hold short taxiway C.' we started to taxi to runway 15L as we got on taxiway a taxiing toward runway 15L which is a very common taxi instruction. The controller came back and said 'flight accd, how do you read?' we (flight abcd) said 'abcd reads you loud and clear.' the ground controller came back and said 'air carrier X abcd, how do you read?' we said 'air carrier abcd reads loud and clear.' he (the ground controller) asked 'air carrier X abcd stop -- where are you at?' we explained we were on taxiway a to runway 15L. He stated 'those taxi instructions were for accd, not abcd,' and were we paying attention or something to that affect. I stated we thought they were for us (the taxi instructions) and we were sorry for not listening better. At this point, the ground controller seemed a little irritated and said 'from present position, taxi to runway 15L air carrier X abcd.' looking back, the frequency was not congested as other times, like during a bank. We were the only air carrier X taxiing to the runway at that time. Not that it happens often, but most ground controllers could see the similar call sign accd sounds like abcd and played it off or excused the mistake. I feel that I might have rushed a little and forgot the old rule -- when in doubt, doublechk the clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN E120 CREW, DURING TAXI FOR TKOF AT IAH, RESPONDED TO A TAXI CLRNC, WHICH ATC ALLEGES WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: GOT CLRNC TO TAXI TO SPOT #1 IN HOUSTON BY ACR X RAMP CTL. UPON REACHING SPOT #1, WE WERE ADVISED TO CALL CLRNC. WE TALKED TO CLRNC AND AT SPOT #1, AS FLT ABCD, WE CALLED GND ON FREQ 118.57. THE CTLR ON GND SAID 'ACR X ABCD, TAXI TO RWY 15L VIA TXWY F, TXWY A, HOLD SHORT TXWY C.' WE STARTED TO TAXI TO RWY 15L AS WE GOT ON TXWY A TAXIING TOWARD RWY 15L WHICH IS A VERY COMMON TAXI INSTRUCTION. THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID 'FLT ACCD, HOW DO YOU READ?' WE (FLT ABCD) SAID 'ABCD READS YOU LOUD AND CLR.' THE GND CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID 'ACR X ABCD, HOW DO YOU READ?' WE SAID 'ACR ABCD READS LOUD AND CLR.' HE (THE GND CTLR) ASKED 'ACR X ABCD STOP -- WHERE ARE YOU AT?' WE EXPLAINED WE WERE ON TXWY A TO RWY 15L. HE STATED 'THOSE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOR ACCD, NOT ABCD,' AND WERE WE PAYING ATTN OR SOMETHING TO THAT AFFECT. I STATED WE THOUGHT THEY WERE FOR US (THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS) AND WE WERE SORRY FOR NOT LISTENING BETTER. AT THIS POINT, THE GND CTLR SEEMED A LITTLE IRRITATED AND SAID 'FROM PRESENT POS, TAXI TO RWY 15L ACR X ABCD.' LOOKING BACK, THE FREQ WAS NOT CONGESTED AS OTHER TIMES, LIKE DURING A BANK. WE WERE THE ONLY ACR X TAXIING TO THE RWY AT THAT TIME. NOT THAT IT HAPPENS OFTEN, BUT MOST GND CTLRS COULD SEE THE SIMILAR CALL SIGN ACCD SOUNDS LIKE ABCD AND PLAYED IT OFF OR EXCUSED THE MISTAKE. I FEEL THAT I MIGHT HAVE RUSHED A LITTLE AND FORGOT THE OLD RULE -- WHEN IN DOUBT, DOUBLECHK THE 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.