Den controller described confusion with aircraft identify starting with ground controller ending up ...

Attributes
ACN	685289
Time
Date	200601
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den.tower
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : den.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Experience	controller limited radar : 20.5
ASRS Report	685289
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Air carrier abbc called for taxi. Ground control thought he heard air carrier abcc. That is who he taxied. He was very busy with numerous distrs at the time. Ground control passed the flight strip to me (the local controller) for takeoff clearance. I cleared air carrier abcc for takeoff. Tape dhows pilot read back air carrier abbc; but I did not catch that with all the backgnd noise. Just prior to me shipping him to departure; I noticed he was tagged air carrier abbc. I questioned pilot as to who he actually was; air carrier abbc or air carrier abcc. He replied 'you had it right the first time.' since his route (air carrier abbc) would now go in another controller's airspace; I went over and tried to coordination a new heading. He couldn't do it because of heavy traffic. I then coordination a different heading with departure. I told departure the air carrier abbc took the clearance for air carrier abcc by mistake. Later I noticed departure change the call sign in the ARTS to air carrier abcc. I thought this was wrong and immediately notified the supervisor. The denver TRACON subsequently had to stop departures to fix the problem. I know of no separation problems due to this pilot taking a wrong clearance. There was just confusion in trying to fix his mistake.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEN CTLR DESCRIBED CONFUSION WITH ACFT IDENT STARTING WITH GND CTLR ENDING UP WITH ALL DEPS BEING HELD PENDING CLARIFICATION.

Narrative: ACR ABBC CALLED FOR TAXI. GND CTL THOUGHT HE HEARD ACR ABCC. THAT IS WHO HE TAXIED. HE WAS VERY BUSY WITH NUMEROUS DISTRS AT THE TIME. GND CTL PASSED THE FLT STRIP TO ME (THE LCL CTLR) FOR TKOF CLRNC. I CLRED ACR ABCC FOR TKOF. TAPE DHOWS PLT READ BACK ACR ABBC; BUT I DID NOT CATCH THAT WITH ALL THE BACKGND NOISE. JUST PRIOR TO ME SHIPPING HIM TO DEP; I NOTICED HE WAS TAGGED ACR ABBC. I QUESTIONED PLT AS TO WHO HE ACTUALLY WAS; ACR ABBC OR ACR ABCC. HE REPLIED 'YOU HAD IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.' SINCE HIS RTE (ACR ABBC) WOULD NOW GO IN ANOTHER CTLR'S AIRSPACE; I WENT OVER AND TRIED TO COORD A NEW HDG. HE COULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE OF HVY TFC. I THEN COORD A DIFFERENT HDG WITH DEP. I TOLD DEP THE ACR ABBC TOOK THE CLRNC FOR ACR ABCC BY MISTAKE. LATER I NOTICED DEP CHANGE THE CALL SIGN IN THE ARTS TO ACR ABCC. I THOUGHT THIS WAS WRONG AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE SUPVR. THE DENVER TRACON SUBSEQUENTLY HAD TO STOP DEPS TO FIX THE PROB. I KNOW OF NO SEPARATION PROBS DUE TO THIS PLT TAKING A WRONG CLRNC. THERE WAS JUST CONFUSION IN TRYING TO FIX HIS MISTAKE.

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.

Den controller described confusion with aircraft identify starting with ground controller ending up with all departures being held pending clarification.