Narrative:

I was working south radar/southeast radar and south handoff position combined during a busy period. Final radar was extending the final out 20+ mi; so I was having to vector aircraft to an upwind then downwind prior to handing off to the final radar sector. At the latter part of this session; I was trying to terminate the upwind vectors as instructed by the facility and the operational supervisor on position and resume normal operations when aircraft X called inbound. I issued aircraft X a 90 degree heading to achieve additional spacing with the aircraft in front of him. Aircraft Y (a similar sounding call sign) departed anchorage climbing to 4000 ft. My intent was to vector aircraft Y to a heading of 220 degrees away from the tail end of the upwind/downwind pattern; which would allow me to continue his climb to FL200 and vector him out the ena gate. I was then going to give aircraft X a vector heading of 020 degrees to keep aircraft X away from aircraft Y. But in the confusion of my situation with setting up the downwind pattern; trying to terminate the upwind pattern and tunneling aircraft Y under other traffic; I issued the heading I was going to give aircraft Y to aircraft X which was a right turn to 220 degrees. It was brought to my attention aircraft X was turning swbound; so I immediately issued a left turn back around to heading 020 degrees.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A11 CTLR DESCRIBES POSSIBLE OPDEV WHEN USING WRONG CALL SIGN TO ISSUE HDG ASSIGNMENT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING S RADAR/SE RADAR AND S HDOF POS COMBINED DURING A BUSY PERIOD. FINAL RADAR WAS EXTENDING THE FINAL OUT 20+ MI; SO I WAS HAVING TO VECTOR ACFT TO AN UPWIND THEN DOWNWIND PRIOR TO HANDING OFF TO THE FINAL RADAR SECTOR. AT THE LATTER PART OF THIS SESSION; I WAS TRYING TO TERMINATE THE UPWIND VECTORS AS INSTRUCTED BY THE FACILITY AND THE OPERATIONAL SUPVR ON POS AND RESUME NORMAL OPS WHEN ACFT X CALLED INBOUND. I ISSUED ACFT X A 90 DEG HDG TO ACHIEVE ADDITIONAL SPACING WITH THE ACFT IN FRONT OF HIM. ACFT Y (A SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN) DEPARTED ANCHORAGE CLBING TO 4000 FT. MY INTENT WAS TO VECTOR ACFT Y TO A HDG OF 220 DEGS AWAY FROM THE TAIL END OF THE UPWIND/DOWNWIND PATTERN; WHICH WOULD ALLOW ME TO CONTINUE HIS CLB TO FL200 AND VECTOR HIM OUT THE ENA GATE. I WAS THEN GOING TO GIVE ACFT X A VECTOR HDG OF 020 DEGS TO KEEP ACFT X AWAY FROM ACFT Y. BUT IN THE CONFUSION OF MY SITUATION WITH SETTING UP THE DOWNWIND PATTERN; TRYING TO TERMINATE THE UPWIND PATTERN AND TUNNELING ACFT Y UNDER OTHER TFC; I ISSUED THE HDG I WAS GOING TO GIVE ACFT Y TO ACFT X WHICH WAS A R TURN TO 220 DEGS. IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN ACFT X WAS TURNING SWBOUND; SO I IMMEDIATELY ISSUED A L TURN BACK AROUND TO HDG 020 DEGS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.