Cvg controller expressed concern regarding air carrier utilizing wrong flight number.

Attributes
ACN	612877
Time
Date	200403
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : cvg.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 10 controller radar : 8
ASRS Report	612877
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

X contacted ground control using call sign 'Y.' Y was a valid flight and the controller issued instructions to taxi. I was working local control, and the aircraft being #1, I contacted him and on initial contact cleared him for takeoff. He read back the clearance using the correct call sign. After aircraft was airborne, the data block showed X (departing over hyk), but the departure controller had data for Y (departing over bkw). Fortunately, departure sectors were not busy (at end of push). Listening to voice tapes verified the above. The infamous chain of events that normally occurs happened here: 1) air carrier used wrong call sign. 2) incorrect call sign was a valid flight assigned same runway for departure. 3) local controller missed the 'X' instead of 'Y' on the readback. 4) pilot never questioned incorrect call sign by either tower or departure controller until departure quizzed pilot. 5) pilot never questioned 'odd' heading for the filed route. Nothing happened, but here's a lesson. Controllers need to catch these errors, no matter how faint the error is, and pilots should question 'odd' items.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CVG CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ACR UTILIZING WRONG FLT NUMBER.

Narrative: X CONTACTED GND CTL USING CALL SIGN 'Y.' Y WAS A VALID FLT AND THE CTLR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI. I WAS WORKING LCL CTL, AND THE ACFT BEING #1, I CONTACTED HIM AND ON INITIAL CONTACT CLRED HIM FOR TKOF. HE READ BACK THE CLRNC USING THE CORRECT CALL SIGN. AFTER ACFT WAS AIRBORNE, THE DATA BLOCK SHOWED X (DEPARTING OVER HYK), BUT THE DEP CTLR HAD DATA FOR Y (DEPARTING OVER BKW). FORTUNATELY, DEP SECTORS WERE NOT BUSY (AT END OF PUSH). LISTENING TO VOICE TAPES VERIFIED THE ABOVE. THE INFAMOUS CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT NORMALLY OCCURS HAPPENED HERE: 1) ACR USED WRONG CALL SIGN. 2) INCORRECT CALL SIGN WAS A VALID FLT ASSIGNED SAME RWY FOR DEP. 3) LCL CTLR MISSED THE 'X' INSTEAD OF 'Y' ON THE READBACK. 4) PLT NEVER QUESTIONED INCORRECT CALL SIGN BY EITHER TWR OR DEP CTLR UNTIL DEP QUIZZED PLT. 5) PLT NEVER QUESTIONED 'ODD' HDG FOR THE FILED RTE. NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT HERE'S A LESSON. CTLRS NEED TO CATCH THESE ERRORS, NO MATTER HOW FAINT THE ERROR IS, AND PLTS SHOULD QUESTION 'ODD' ITEMS.

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.