Narrative:

While holding short of runway 25L on taxiway F; tower cleared flight with a similar call sign to ours for takeoff on runway 25R. The first officer answered 'air carrier X cleared for takeoff runway 25L;' and with no corrective response from the tower; I released the parking brake. We started rolling and I checked final approach and saw an aircraft landing just as air carrier Y queried the tower. I stopped the airplane a few ft past the hold line. The first officer informed the tower that we fouled the runway and the landing aircraft was sent around. We were completing the before takeoff checklist when the takeoff clearance was issued. Because the first officer was briefing the departure at the time; what sounded like a takeoff clearance for us was actually clearance for air carrier Y. The first officer was very clear in his readback to the tower and the tower did not correct him; so we both believed we had heard the takeoff clearance correctly. Both air carrier Y's radio transmission and the aircraft on short final; as well as the first officer's command; caused me to stop the aircraft. We actually never entered the runway; but we did cross the hold line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ACFT ACKNOWLEDGED A 'POS AND HOLD' CLRNC MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACR AND CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON LAX RWY 25L. AN ACFT ON FINAL WAS SENT AROUND.

Narrative: WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 25L ON TXWY F; TWR CLRED FLT WITH A SIMILAR CALL SIGN TO OURS FOR TKOF ON RWY 25R. THE FO ANSWERED 'ACR X CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 25L;' AND WITH NO CORRECTIVE RESPONSE FROM THE TWR; I RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE. WE STARTED ROLLING AND I CHKED FINAL APCH AND SAW AN ACFT LNDG JUST AS ACR Y QUERIED THE TWR. I STOPPED THE AIRPLANE A FEW FT PAST THE HOLD LINE. THE FO INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE FOULED THE RWY AND THE LNDG ACFT WAS SENT AROUND. WE WERE COMPLETING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WHEN THE TKOF CLRNC WAS ISSUED. BECAUSE THE FO WAS BRIEFING THE DEP AT THE TIME; WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A TKOF CLRNC FOR US WAS ACTUALLY CLRNC FOR ACR Y. THE FO WAS VERY CLR IN HIS READBACK TO THE TWR AND THE TWR DID NOT CORRECT HIM; SO WE BOTH BELIEVED WE HAD HEARD THE TKOF CLRNC CORRECTLY. BOTH ACR Y'S RADIO XMISSION AND THE ACFT ON SHORT FINAL; AS WELL AS THE FO'S COMMAND; CAUSED ME TO STOP THE ACFT. WE ACTUALLY NEVER ENTERED THE RWY; BUT WE DID CROSS THE HOLD LINE.

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.