Narrative:

Aviation safety organization has expressed concern over the potential risk to safety posed by the proliferation of non-standard liveries; and has advised pilots and ground controllers to exercise particular caution in order to avoid misident. In a recent safety bulletin it states that; while aircraft have typically been idented during ground xmissions by their carrier and call sign; commercial cooperation means aircraft liveries are 'often no longer entirely consistent' with those normally expected. Individual group member airlines; for example; have several aircraft painted in group livery with only small distinguishing features to identify the operating carrier. Similarly a number of airlines; particularly budget carriers; have adopted all-over color schemes for 3RD-party advertising purposes; while other operators carry multiple variations on a basic livery scheme within their fleet. 'When being provided local traffic information by the aerodrome or ground controller; confusion and ambiguity have been reported (by pilots) as regards the aircraft livery of the traffic in question;' says the bulletin. 'For these reasons ATC must take particular care when describing aircraft in local traffic information; particularly as regards the use of conditional clrncs.' it stresses that controllers; when issuing instructions referring to other aircraft by their carrier or operator call sign; should ensure that an aircraft's livery is consistent with that which pilots might expect preferably by visual confirmation.' the safety organization adds: 'it is of utmost importance that this identify procedure is carried out correctly. There must be no doubt as to whether the correct object has been idented.' we need to consider not only the significantly reduced barrier to error by tripling the number of our aircraft in the united states with call signs that do not match the paint jobs; but also the impact of english as a foreign language in europe and their pronunciation of call signs; as well as the international community's unfamiliarity with our situation. Have our call signs match our paint jobs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT NOTES THAT POTENTIAL CONTROLLER ERRORS ARE POSSIBLE BECAUSE ACFT LIVERY DO NOT ALWAYS UNIFORMLY MATCH THE ACR'S ASSIGNED CALL SIGN.

Narrative: AVIATION SAFETY ORGANIZATION HAS EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE POTENTIAL RISK TO SAFETY POSED BY THE PROLIFERATION OF NON-STANDARD LIVERIES; AND HAS ADVISED PLTS AND GND CTLRS TO EXERCISE PARTICULAR CAUTION IN ORDER TO AVOID MISIDENT. IN A RECENT SAFETY BULLETIN IT STATES THAT; WHILE ACFT HAVE TYPICALLY BEEN IDENTED DURING GND XMISSIONS BY THEIR CARRIER AND CALL SIGN; COMMERCIAL COOPERATION MEANS ACFT LIVERIES ARE 'OFTEN NO LONGER ENTIRELY CONSISTENT' WITH THOSE NORMALLY EXPECTED. INDIVIDUAL GROUP MEMBER AIRLINES; FOR EXAMPLE; HAVE SEVERAL ACFT PAINTED IN GROUP LIVERY WITH ONLY SMALL DISTINGUISHING FEATURES TO IDENT THE OPERATING CARRIER. SIMILARLY A NUMBER OF AIRLINES; PARTICULARLY BUDGET CARRIERS; HAVE ADOPTED ALL-OVER COLOR SCHEMES FOR 3RD-PARTY ADVERTISING PURPOSES; WHILE OTHER OPERATORS CARRY MULTIPLE VARIATIONS ON A BASIC LIVERY SCHEME WITHIN THEIR FLEET. 'WHEN BEING PROVIDED LCL TFC INFO BY THE AERODROME OR GND CTLR; CONFUSION AND AMBIGUITY HAVE BEEN RPTED (BY PLTS) AS REGARDS THE ACFT LIVERY OF THE TFC IN QUESTION;' SAYS THE BULLETIN. 'FOR THESE REASONS ATC MUST TAKE PARTICULAR CARE WHEN DESCRIBING ACFT IN LCL TFC INFO; PARTICULARLY AS REGARDS THE USE OF CONDITIONAL CLRNCS.' IT STRESSES THAT CTLRS; WHEN ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS REFERRING TO OTHER ACFT BY THEIR CARRIER OR OPERATOR CALL SIGN; SHOULD ENSURE THAT AN ACFT'S LIVERY IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT WHICH PLTS MIGHT EXPECT PREFERABLY BY VISUAL CONFIRMATION.' THE SAFETY ORGANIZATION ADDS: 'IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT THIS IDENT PROC IS CARRIED OUT CORRECTLY. THERE MUST BE NO DOUBT AS TO WHETHER THE CORRECT OBJECT HAS BEEN IDENTED.' WE NEED TO CONSIDER NOT ONLY THE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BARRIER TO ERROR BY TRIPLING THE NUMBER OF OUR ACFT IN THE UNITED STATES WITH CALL SIGNS THAT DO NOT MATCH THE PAINT JOBS; BUT ALSO THE IMPACT OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN EUROPE AND THEIR PRONUNCIATION OF CALL SIGNS; AS WELL AS THE INTL COMMUNITY'S UNFAMILIARITY WITH OUR SITUATION. HAVE OUR CALL SIGNS MATCH OUR PAINT JOBS.

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.