Narrative:

Similar company call signs (addg and adgg) had caused confusion from denver to phoenix on every ATC frequency. Adgg was ahead and both aircraft were aware of the call sign conflict. Phx approach frequency was saturated and the congestion did not allow for confirmation of instructions. Phx approach was very forceful and direct in their instructions. Some of the instructions for our flight did not seem usual, but controller was talking so much all we could do was respond. Finally the controller realized our flight was not doing what she anticipated and asked what we were doing. We had received and read back each instruction we were given and there was no doubt in the call sign phx used. Unfortunately, the controller had mixed up the call signs and she had a mess. Controller told us we had picked up adgg's instructions which we immediately took issue with (we had been dealing with this for over an hour on every frequency). At that point adgg jumped into the conversation and the controller realized that they (adgg) had not received any of the instructions that she thought had been issued. The controller became obviously angry and finally sorted out the mess and implied it was our fault. I have been flying to phx every friday this month and phx cannot handle the volume of traffic it receives. Every arrival is vectored off of the arrival STAR and the frequency is a machine gun chatter of instructions. The controller seemed mad/angry at us, but I assume that was just the fear coming through that the issuance/readback/hearback sequence had failed and could have had deadly results.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS OF 2 SAME COMPANY FLTS FURTHER INCREASES THE WORKLOAD AND STRESS ON THE APCH CTLR AT PHX.

Narrative: SIMILAR COMPANY CALL SIGNS (ADDG AND ADGG) HAD CAUSED CONFUSION FROM DENVER TO PHOENIX ON EVERY ATC FREQ. ADGG WAS AHEAD AND BOTH ACFT WERE AWARE OF THE CALL SIGN CONFLICT. PHX APCH FREQ WAS SATURATED AND THE CONGESTION DID NOT ALLOW FOR CONFIRMATION OF INSTRUCTIONS. PHX APCH WAS VERY FORCEFUL AND DIRECT IN THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. SOME OF THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR FLT DID NOT SEEM USUAL, BUT CTLR WAS TALKING SO MUCH ALL WE COULD DO WAS RESPOND. FINALLY THE CTLR REALIZED OUR FLT WAS NOT DOING WHAT SHE ANTICIPATED AND ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING. WE HAD RECEIVED AND READ BACK EACH INSTRUCTION WE WERE GIVEN AND THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN THE CALL SIGN PHX USED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CTLR HAD MIXED UP THE CALL SIGNS AND SHE HAD A MESS. CTLR TOLD US WE HAD PICKED UP ADGG'S INSTRUCTIONS WHICH WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK ISSUE WITH (WE HAD BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR OVER AN HR ON EVERY FREQ). AT THAT POINT ADGG JUMPED INTO THE CONVERSATION AND THE CTLR REALIZED THAT THEY (ADGG) HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY OF THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT SHE THOUGHT HAD BEEN ISSUED. THE CTLR BECAME OBVIOUSLY ANGRY AND FINALLY SORTED OUT THE MESS AND IMPLIED IT WAS OUR FAULT. I HAVE BEEN FLYING TO PHX EVERY FRIDAY THIS MONTH AND PHX CANNOT HANDLE THE VOLUME OF TFC IT RECEIVES. EVERY ARR IS VECTORED OFF OF THE ARR STAR AND THE FREQ IS A MACHINE GUN CHATTER OF INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLR SEEMED MAD/ANGRY AT US, BUT I ASSUME THAT WAS JUST THE FEAR COMING THROUGH THAT THE ISSUANCE/READBACK/HEARBACK SEQUENCE HAD FAILED AND COULD HAVE HAD DEADLY RESULTS.

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.