Narrative:

This report is to point out continuing problems in the inter-island flight structure resulting from air carrier X and air carrier Y using similar (and the same) flight numbers on concurrently scheduled flts. Why can't we change this procedure or practice in the interest of flight safety? At approximately XA35, ATC (126.0) advised aircraft X to contact ATC on 119.3. Aircraft Y responded to the call and left the frequency. I responded as well and 126.0 confirmed the call was to aircraft X. When I checked in on 119.3 we were given descent instructions which were again answered by aircraft Y. I came up on the frequency again, advising center that another aircraft had responded to my call sign, and again confirmed the ATC directions for aircraft X. Aircraft Y subsequently responded to their ATC call. Once on approach control, aircraft X was issued a descent to 6000 ft. When aircraft Y shifted to approach, every call that I made requesting lower was answered by approach control to aircraft Y who accepted the clrncs believing they were for him. My repeated efforts to contact approach were routinely blocked, and we ended up still at 6000 ft within 10 NM of the airport. Approach control finally gave up on handling 2 frequencys and advised everyone to come up on 118.3 (he was controling another sector, I guess, and everyone was being 'stepped on' or 'blocked'). I jumped in first, got visual via the channel approach to runway 8L, which by this time was a slam-dunk approach. Fortunately, the first officer and I were on the same page. He had slowed earlier when I was trying to establish communications for lower, so we were able to safely configure and land without incident -- this time! As we turned final, tower was giving aircraft Y takeoff clearance. Fortunately, our flight arrived early from ona, or we would have had aircraft Z, aircraft Y, and aircraft xx all on the same frequency! I think something should be done to avoid these similar call signs to prevent one of us from flying the wrong clearance into disaster.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B717 FLC ENCOUNTERS SIMILAR CALL DIFFICULTIES WITH ANOTHER INTER ISLAND ACR WHEN ENRTE TO PKOA THROUGH ZHN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS TO POINT OUT CONTINUING PROBS IN THE INTER-ISLAND FLT STRUCTURE RESULTING FROM ACR X AND ACR Y USING SIMILAR (AND THE SAME) FLT NUMBERS ON CONCURRENTLY SCHEDULED FLTS. WHY CAN'T WE CHANGE THIS PROC OR PRACTICE IN THE INTEREST OF FLT SAFETY? AT APPROX XA35, ATC (126.0) ADVISED ACFT X TO CONTACT ATC ON 119.3. ACFT Y RESPONDED TO THE CALL AND LEFT THE FREQ. I RESPONDED AS WELL AND 126.0 CONFIRMED THE CALL WAS TO ACFT X. WHEN I CHKED IN ON 119.3 WE WERE GIVEN DSCNT INSTRUCTIONS WHICH WERE AGAIN ANSWERED BY ACFT Y. I CAME UP ON THE FREQ AGAIN, ADVISING CTR THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD RESPONDED TO MY CALL SIGN, AND AGAIN CONFIRMED THE ATC DIRECTIONS FOR ACFT X. ACFT Y SUBSEQUENTLY RESPONDED TO THEIR ATC CALL. ONCE ON APCH CTL, ACFT X WAS ISSUED A DSCNT TO 6000 FT. WHEN ACFT Y SHIFTED TO APCH, EVERY CALL THAT I MADE REQUESTING LOWER WAS ANSWERED BY APCH CTL TO ACFT Y WHO ACCEPTED THE CLRNCS BELIEVING THEY WERE FOR HIM. MY REPEATED EFFORTS TO CONTACT APCH WERE ROUTINELY BLOCKED, AND WE ENDED UP STILL AT 6000 FT WITHIN 10 NM OF THE ARPT. APCH CTL FINALLY GAVE UP ON HANDLING 2 FREQS AND ADVISED EVERYONE TO COME UP ON 118.3 (HE WAS CTLING ANOTHER SECTOR, I GUESS, AND EVERYONE WAS BEING 'STEPPED ON' OR 'BLOCKED'). I JUMPED IN FIRST, GOT VISUAL VIA THE CHANNEL APCH TO RWY 8L, WHICH BY THIS TIME WAS A SLAM-DUNK APCH. FORTUNATELY, THE FO AND I WERE ON THE SAME PAGE. HE HAD SLOWED EARLIER WHEN I WAS TRYING TO ESTABLISH COMS FOR LOWER, SO WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY CONFIGURE AND LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT -- THIS TIME! AS WE TURNED FINAL, TWR WAS GIVING ACFT Y TKOF CLRNC. FORTUNATELY, OUR FLT ARRIVED EARLY FROM ONA, OR WE WOULD HAVE HAD ACFT Z, ACFT Y, AND ACFT XX ALL ON THE SAME FREQ! I THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO AVOID THESE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS TO PREVENT ONE OF US FROM FLYING THE WRONG CLRNC INTO DISASTER.

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.