Air carrier flight crew has runway incursion when accepting a similar call sign clearance.

Attributes
ACN	700620
Time
Date	200606
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	700620
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	700621
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Holding short of runway 17R; tower cleared company xabc to taxi into position and hold. After reading back the clearance; and verifying; we taxied onto runway 17R. We then notice an aircraft to our right also taxiing onto runway 17R. We alerted the tower (the other aircraft appeared not to see us) while taxiing clear of the runway; on the other side. The tower tells us the clearance is for company abc. We were subsequently cleared for takeoff from the new holding point. Both company xabc and abc were at the #1 holding spots for runway 17R. Neither aircraft were aware of the other. Supplemental information from acn 700621: tower said the clearance was for company abc; and we had a delay for spacing eastbound due to WX. It was clearly my fault. I would like to know why company has 2 flts with call signs that are similar leaving at the same time. Also it would have been nice if ground would have told us about abc; but there was still a little confusion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW HAS RWY INCURSION WHEN ACCEPTING A SIMILAR CALL SIGN CLRNC.

Narrative: HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 17R; TWR CLRED COMPANY XABC TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. AFTER READING BACK THE CLRNC; AND VERIFYING; WE TAXIED ONTO RWY 17R. WE THEN NOTICE AN ACFT TO OUR R ALSO TAXIING ONTO RWY 17R. WE ALERTED THE TWR (THE OTHER ACFT APPEARED NOT TO SEE US) WHILE TAXIING CLR OF THE RWY; ON THE OTHER SIDE. THE TWR TELLS US THE CLRNC IS FOR COMPANY ABC. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR TKOF FROM THE NEW HOLDING POINT. BOTH COMPANY XABC AND ABC WERE AT THE #1 HOLDING SPOTS FOR RWY 17R. NEITHER ACFT WERE AWARE OF THE OTHER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 700621: TWR SAID THE CLRNC WAS FOR COMPANY ABC; AND WE HAD A DELAY FOR SPACING EBOUND DUE TO WX. IT WAS CLRLY MY FAULT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY COMPANY HAS 2 FLTS WITH CALL SIGNS THAT ARE SIMILAR LEAVING AT THE SAME TIME. ALSO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF GND WOULD HAVE TOLD US ABOUT ABC; BUT THERE WAS STILL A LITTLE CONFUSION.

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.