Narrative:

On aug/mon/02 at XA40, I was acting as first officer on flight abc when we were cleared into position and hold on runway 22R at intersection west. I read back the clearance on tower frequency 118.3 as we taxied into position for takeoff. Upon reaching the position and hold point, tower queried 'flight abc, do you know something I don't know?' I responded 'you cleared us into position and hold and I read it back.' tower then said 'ok, then you are cleared for takeoff.' at the same time tower asked flight dec if it was 'ok if flight abc uses full power in front of you?' to which he responded it was ok. I believe flight dec also was in the process of taking runway 22 from taxiway Z, though I never saw him. This situation was created by similar call signs, 2 aircraft (abc and dec) blocking each other's response and tower attention being diverted due to an air carrier Z go around. It is possible we may have taken flight dec clearance or he may have taken ours, but I believe tower had cleared us into position at taxiway west. Tower said nothing, however, we were well into position on the hold.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EWR TWR LCL CTLR BECAME CONFUSED WITH 2 DIFFERENT COMPANY ACFT WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS AND CLRS THE ONE NOT HOLDING IN POS FOR TKOF. SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION WITH EACH ACFT CLARIFIED SIT AND RPTR IN POS WAS CLRED FOR TKOF.

Narrative: ON AUG/MON/02 AT XA40, I WAS ACTING AS FO ON FLT ABC WHEN WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 22R AT INTXN W. I READ BACK THE CLRNC ON TWR FREQ 118.3 AS WE TAXIED INTO POS FOR TKOF. UPON REACHING THE POS AND HOLD POINT, TWR QUERIED 'FLT ABC, DO YOU KNOW SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW?' I RESPONDED 'YOU CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD AND I READ IT BACK.' TWR THEN SAID 'OK, THEN YOU ARE CLRED FOR TKOF.' AT THE SAME TIME TWR ASKED FLT DEC IF IT WAS 'OK IF FLT ABC USES FULL PWR IN FRONT OF YOU?' TO WHICH HE RESPONDED IT WAS OK. I BELIEVE FLT DEC ALSO WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING RWY 22 FROM TXWY Z, THOUGH I NEVER SAW HIM. THIS SIT WAS CREATED BY SIMILAR CALL SIGNS, 2 ACFT (ABC AND DEC) BLOCKING EACH OTHER'S RESPONSE AND TWR ATTN BEING DIVERTED DUE TO AN ACR Z GAR. IT IS POSSIBLE WE MAY HAVE TAKEN FLT DEC CLRNC OR HE MAY HAVE TAKEN OURS, BUT I BELIEVE TWR HAD CLRED US INTO POS AT TXWY W. TWR SAID NOTHING, HOWEVER, WE WERE WELL INTO POS ON THE HOLD.

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.