Narrative:

We were flight abcd. We taxied to runway 19 per albany ground's instructions. All company flts, except 1, were departing on runway 19, the other aircraft were using runway 28 for departure and were not visible from runway 19. We were #1 for takeoff with a dash 8 on about a 2 mi final. I was under the impression I heard 'flight abcd, you are cleared for takeoff runway 19 full length.' my captain (the PNF) read back 'flight abcd, cleared for takeoff runway 19 full length.' the other aircraft on runway 28 was holding in position at this time. We proceeded onto the runway and initiated the final checklist. Our aircraft was rolling while the aircraft on runway 28 remained in position and queried the tower, 'would you like flight axxx to remain in position on runway 28?' as far as I can recall, the tower even said at this point 'who is on runway 28?' and the other aircraft said its call sign. The tower then said 'aircraft on runway 19, you are not cleared for takeoff, exit next taxiway!' my captain replied 'we are stopped and we will exit this taxiway.' we then departed without incident. The dash 8 did not need to do a go around and the other aircraft on runway 28 never moved until we cleared the runway. I believe the tower confused which aircraft was on which runway. It's also a possibility that he called our aircraft number and said the other runway number. However, we both believed we heard our call sign and our runway. Contributing factors could have also been like sounding aircraft call signs used by our company. I also think adding to the confusion was executing a checklist after the hold short line when cleared onto the runway per the company SOP's. I know it caused me to be unable to hear the radio as clearly as possible because the captain was following SOP's and reading the checklist. Supplemental information from acn 592580: we received this instruction: 'cleared for takeoff, full length runway 19.' I read back the takeoff clearance verbatim, including runway number. I believe the tower controller was confused about which aircraft was on which runway. Our call signs, many similar sounding, may have contributed to the confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SEVERAL SAME COMPANY ACFT USING RWY 19 AND ONE IN POS ON RWY 28 CAUSED THE ALB LCL CTLR TO BECOME CONFUSED WHEN THE WRONG ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF.

Narrative: WE WERE FLT ABCD. WE TAXIED TO RWY 19 PER ALBANY GND'S INSTRUCTIONS. ALL COMPANY FLTS, EXCEPT 1, WERE DEPARTING ON RWY 19, THE OTHER ACFT WERE USING RWY 28 FOR DEP AND WERE NOT VISIBLE FROM RWY 19. WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF WITH A DASH 8 ON ABOUT A 2 MI FINAL. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION I HEARD 'FLT ABCD, YOU ARE CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 19 FULL LENGTH.' MY CAPT (THE PNF) READ BACK 'FLT ABCD, CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 19 FULL LENGTH.' THE OTHER ACFT ON RWY 28 WAS HOLDING IN POS AT THIS TIME. WE PROCEEDED ONTO THE RWY AND INITIATED THE FINAL CHKLIST. OUR ACFT WAS ROLLING WHILE THE ACFT ON RWY 28 REMAINED IN POS AND QUERIED THE TWR, 'WOULD YOU LIKE FLT AXXX TO REMAIN IN POS ON RWY 28?' AS FAR AS I CAN RECALL, THE TWR EVEN SAID AT THIS POINT 'WHO IS ON RWY 28?' AND THE OTHER ACFT SAID ITS CALL SIGN. THE TWR THEN SAID 'ACFT ON RWY 19, YOU ARE NOT CLRED FOR TKOF, EXIT NEXT TXWY!' MY CAPT REPLIED 'WE ARE STOPPED AND WE WILL EXIT THIS TXWY.' WE THEN DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE DASH 8 DID NOT NEED TO DO A GAR AND THE OTHER ACFT ON RWY 28 NEVER MOVED UNTIL WE CLRED THE RWY. I BELIEVE THE TWR CONFUSED WHICH ACFT WAS ON WHICH RWY. IT'S ALSO A POSSIBILITY THAT HE CALLED OUR ACFT NUMBER AND SAID THE OTHER RWY NUMBER. HOWEVER, WE BOTH BELIEVED WE HEARD OUR CALL SIGN AND OUR RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN LIKE SOUNDING ACFT CALL SIGNS USED BY OUR COMPANY. I ALSO THINK ADDING TO THE CONFUSION WAS EXECUTING A CHKLIST AFTER THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY PER THE COMPANY SOP'S. I KNOW IT CAUSED ME TO BE UNABLE TO HEAR THE RADIO AS CLRLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE CAPT WAS FOLLOWING SOP'S AND READING THE CHKLIST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 592580: WE RECEIVED THIS INSTRUCTION: 'CLRED FOR TKOF, FULL LENGTH RWY 19.' I READ BACK THE TKOF CLRNC VERBATIM, INCLUDING RWY NUMBER. I BELIEVE THE TWR CTLR WAS CONFUSED ABOUT WHICH ACFT WAS ON WHICH RWY. OUR CALL SIGNS, MANY SIMILAR SOUNDING, MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION.

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.