B737-200 crew and another, same air carrier aircraft, with a similar call sign, began a turn to the wrong heading after the crew took a clearance for the other aircraft.

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Attributes
ACN	592918
Time
Date	200309
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cae.airport
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cae.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cae.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	592918
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Takeoff normal. Departure control gave us heading, then changed the right turn to a left turn either would work as we were headed exactly away from our course. Controller asked about our heading and indicated the second heading was intended for another aircraft. 1) we read back both headings with our complete call sign. 2) the controller was working more than 1 frequency. 3) the other aircraft was our company aircraft with a call sign -- a single digit from ours (air carrier X versus air carrier Y) on the other frequency. 4) either the controller confused the call signs or we took the heading for the other aircraft. 5) the controller did not catch the readback error if we made one. (He was probably listening on the other frequency.) 6) we just came on the frequency and didn't know there was a similar call sign on another frequency being used by the controller. Company uses similar call signs in local areas at the same time. Controller works multiple frequencys -- does not tell us, and doesn't tell us similar call sign is sharing 1/2 of frequency (that we can't hear). It all happens at a heavy work time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 CREW AND ANOTHER, SAME ACR ACFT, WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN, BEGAN A TURN TO THE WRONG HDG AFTER THE CREW TOOK A CLRNC FOR THE OTHER ACFT.

Narrative: TKOF NORMAL. DEP CTL GAVE US HDG, THEN CHANGED THE R TURN TO A L TURN EITHER WOULD WORK AS WE WERE HEADED EXACTLY AWAY FROM OUR COURSE. CTLR ASKED ABOUT OUR HDG AND INDICATED THE SECOND HDG WAS INTENDED FOR ANOTHER ACFT. 1) WE READ BACK BOTH HDGS WITH OUR COMPLETE CALL SIGN. 2) THE CTLR WAS WORKING MORE THAN 1 FREQ. 3) THE OTHER ACFT WAS OUR COMPANY ACFT WITH A CALL SIGN -- A SINGLE DIGIT FROM OURS (ACR X VERSUS ACR Y) ON THE OTHER FREQ. 4) EITHER THE CTLR CONFUSED THE CALL SIGNS OR WE TOOK THE HDG FOR THE OTHER ACFT. 5) THE CTLR DID NOT CATCH THE READBACK ERROR IF WE MADE ONE. (HE WAS PROBABLY LISTENING ON THE OTHER FREQ.) 6) WE JUST CAME ON THE FREQ AND DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON ANOTHER FREQ BEING USED BY THE CTLR. COMPANY USES SIMILAR CALL SIGNS IN LCL AREAS AT THE SAME TIME. CTLR WORKS MULTIPLE FREQS -- DOES NOT TELL US, AND DOESN'T TELL US SIMILAR CALL SIGN IS SHARING 1/2 OF FREQ (THAT WE CAN'T HEAR). IT ALL HAPPENS AT A HVY WORK TIME.

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.