Narrative:

First officer's first time in bur. Captain's most recent bur experience was years before. Inbound to bur, socal approach and tower thought that we were another air carrier Y B737, due their traffic calls to us about 'company traffic' that was the other air carrier Y B737. After landing, tower told us to turn right at the end of runway 8 and follow (wrong) aircraft Y company B737. As we were taxiing, we heard tower give instructions to our company flight xx to stop abeam the tower. We were flight xy and even though we recognized this to be a similar call sign, it was still a different call sign. We then switched to ground frequency and checked in, whereupon the ground controller told us to 'taxi to the gate.' passing abeam the tower, the ground controller abruptly told us to hold position. Then we noticed 2 aircraft taking off from runway 15. After the aircraft took off, we were then instructed to continue taxiing to the gate. Although it was never confirmed, we think that ground control wanted us to hold short of the runway 15 hold short line, even though they used the wrong call sign, and on the wrong frequency to tell us. Furthermore, this instruction conflicted with the ground controller's instruction to continue taxiing to the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SOME CONFUSION ABOUT AN ACR'S FLT NUMBER LEADS THE FLT CREW TO BELIEVE THAT ATC HAS THEM MIXED UP WITH ANOTHER ACR'S IDENTITY DURING APCH, LNDG AND TAXI AT BUR, CA

Narrative: FO'S FIRST TIME IN BUR. CAPT'S MOST RECENT BUR EXPERIENCE WAS YEARS BEFORE. INBOUND TO BUR, SOCAL APCH AND TWR THOUGHT THAT WE WERE ANOTHER ACR Y B737, DUE THEIR TFC CALLS TO US ABOUT 'COMPANY TFC' THAT WAS THE OTHER ACR Y B737. AFTER LNDG, TWR TOLD US TO TURN R AT THE END OF RWY 8 AND FOLLOW (WRONG) ACFT Y COMPANY B737. AS WE WERE TAXIING, WE HEARD TWR GIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO OUR COMPANY FLT XX TO STOP ABEAM THE TWR. WE WERE FLT XY AND EVEN THOUGH WE RECOGNIZED THIS TO BE A SIMILAR CALL SIGN, IT WAS STILL A DIFFERENT CALL SIGN. WE THEN SWITCHED TO GND FREQ AND CHKED IN, WHEREUPON THE GND CTLR TOLD US TO 'TAXI TO THE GATE.' PASSING ABEAM THE TWR, THE GND CTLR ABRUPTLY TOLD US TO HOLD POS. THEN WE NOTICED 2 ACFT TAKING OFF FROM RWY 15. AFTER THE ACFT TOOK OFF, WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE TAXIING TO THE GATE. ALTHOUGH IT WAS NEVER CONFIRMED, WE THINK THAT GND CTL WANTED US TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY 15 HOLD SHORT LINE, EVEN THOUGH THEY USED THE WRONG CALL SIGN, AND ON THE WRONG FREQ TO TELL US. FURTHERMORE, THIS INSTRUCTION CONFLICTED WITH THE GND CTLR'S INSTRUCTION TO CONTINUE TAXIING TO THE GATE.

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.