Narrative:

We taxied to runway 25R and stopped on taxiway C between intersection B1 and B. Tower clears us to taxi up to and hold short runway 25R. We complied. Tower clears us into position and hold full length runway 25R. We begin to taxi when I notice company on intersection B1 taxiing onto runway; past the hold short line. Now we are both past the hold short line on runway 25R and confusion ensued between ATC; us; and company aircraft. Tower asked who was full length; we responded; 'XXXX.' company aircraft responded; 'we were cleared onto runway.' tower asked 'who is on B!' in the mix up and confusion; we said 'flight XXXX.' before we could correct ourselves; company said; 'come on guys! They think they are on B and we are.' tower then cleared company for takeoff 500 ft down the runway from intersection B1; 'for jetblast.' I inform tower that we are past the hold short line and he cleared us into position and hold. Both aircraft were instructed to contact tower upon arrival. In our arrival city; I contacted las tower. Spoke with a controller (not controller involved in the event). He informed me that we were indeed cleared into position; but company took the runway by mistake; and confused everyone. He also said that tower just wanted to talk to us to see how we could prevent this from happening in the future. He indicated that although we were given the initial clearance into position; having both aircraft on the runway was illegal. I told him I would file a company report; and asked if there was anything I needed to do with them. He said that it was for information purposes only. Both aircraft had similar call signs. Using the thumb wheel on the yoke we all would have been seeing the last 3 digits. I can understand accepting one another's clearance. Tower could have made it known by pointing it out. Also; the radio became congested with conjecture by company. Offering a solution to ATC instead of verbal attacks and improper phraseology might have expedited resolution. Supplemental information from acn 745531: taxiing out to runway 25R at las may have been where the confusion started. Our pushback from the gate was normal and we were told by ramp control to proceed to spot X and contact ground on 121.1. As we were approaching spot X we noticed a company aircraft on taxiway C; also approaching spot X; so we yielded to that aircraft and contacted ground. Ground control instructed us to taxi to runway 25R; but no mention of the other aircraft was given. Both the captain and I thought this was somewhat unusual. We followed the aircraft to runway 25R and he went to intersection B and we went to B1. We switched to tower frequency 119.9 around intersection C1 and monitored. Tower controller then instructed our aircraft flight number to taxi into position and hold on runway 25R via B1 full length and report the preceding aircraft in sight. We complied with the position and hold instruction and advised tower we did not have the preceding aircraft in sight and would taxi to full length. This required us to back-taxi a short ways because we were entering the runway at B1. As we began to move onto the runway; tower asked us if we were at B1 full length. The captain stopped the aircraft shortly after crossing the hold short lines and we advised tower we were at B1 and would taxi to full length position. The tower controller seemed confused by our position and responded again. This time our company aircraft at intersection B took the transmission and started to move onto the runway; as well. Tower controller made more xmissions and the company aircraft stopped; but also across the hold short lines. After several more xmissions between our aircraft and company aircraft and the tower controller; we were finally cleared for takeoff and everything else was normal. It would be very interesting to see a transcript of the communication between our aircraft; company aircraft; and the tower; to find out how the confusion started. At no time did the 2 aircraft get very close to each other and I believe the situation was handled as well as possible under the very confusing circumstances.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWO B737-700 FLT CREWS ATTEMPT TO TAXI INTO POSITION AND HOLD ON RWY 25R AT LAS; FROM B AND B1; AFTER CONFUSION OVER SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS.

Narrative: WE TAXIED TO RWY 25R AND STOPPED ON TXWY C BTWN INTXN B1 AND B. TWR CLRS US TO TAXI UP TO AND HOLD SHORT RWY 25R. WE COMPLIED. TWR CLRS US INTO POS AND HOLD FULL LENGTH RWY 25R. WE BEGIN TO TAXI WHEN I NOTICE COMPANY ON INTXN B1 TAXIING ONTO RWY; PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE. NOW WE ARE BOTH PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE ON RWY 25R AND CONFUSION ENSUED BTWN ATC; US; AND COMPANY ACFT. TWR ASKED WHO WAS FULL LENGTH; WE RESPONDED; 'XXXX.' COMPANY ACFT RESPONDED; 'WE WERE CLRED ONTO RWY.' TWR ASKED 'WHO IS ON B!' IN THE MIX UP AND CONFUSION; WE SAID 'FLT XXXX.' BEFORE WE COULD CORRECT OURSELVES; COMPANY SAID; 'COME ON GUYS! THEY THINK THEY ARE ON B AND WE ARE.' TWR THEN CLRED COMPANY FOR TKOF 500 FT DOWN THE RWY FROM INTXN B1; 'FOR JETBLAST.' I INFORM TWR THAT WE ARE PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND HE CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD. BOTH ACFT WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TWR UPON ARR. IN OUR ARR CITY; I CONTACTED LAS TWR. SPOKE WITH A CTLR (NOT CTLR INVOLVED IN THE EVENT). HE INFORMED ME THAT WE WERE INDEED CLRED INTO POS; BUT COMPANY TOOK THE RWY BY MISTAKE; AND CONFUSED EVERYONE. HE ALSO SAID THAT TWR JUST WANTED TO TALK TO US TO SEE HOW WE COULD PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. HE INDICATED THAT ALTHOUGH WE WERE GIVEN THE INITIAL CLRNC INTO POS; HAVING BOTH ACFT ON THE RWY WAS ILLEGAL. I TOLD HIM I WOULD FILE A COMPANY RPT; AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING I NEEDED TO DO WITH THEM. HE SAID THAT IT WAS FOR INFO PURPOSES ONLY. BOTH ACFT HAD SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. USING THE THUMB WHEEL ON THE YOKE WE ALL WOULD HAVE BEEN SEEING THE LAST 3 DIGITS. I CAN UNDERSTAND ACCEPTING ONE ANOTHER'S CLRNC. TWR COULD HAVE MADE IT KNOWN BY POINTING IT OUT. ALSO; THE RADIO BECAME CONGESTED WITH CONJECTURE BY COMPANY. OFFERING A SOLUTION TO ATC INSTEAD OF VERBAL ATTACKS AND IMPROPER PHRASEOLOGY MIGHT HAVE EXPEDITED RESOLUTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 745531: TAXIING OUT TO RWY 25R AT LAS MAY HAVE BEEN WHERE THE CONFUSION STARTED. OUR PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE WAS NORMAL AND WE WERE TOLD BY RAMP CTL TO PROCEED TO SPOT X AND CONTACT GND ON 121.1. AS WE WERE APCHING SPOT X WE NOTICED A COMPANY ACFT ON TXWY C; ALSO APCHING SPOT X; SO WE YIELDED TO THAT ACFT AND CONTACTED GND. GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO RWY 25R; BUT NO MENTION OF THE OTHER ACFT WAS GIVEN. BOTH THE CAPT AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL. WE FOLLOWED THE ACFT TO RWY 25R AND HE WENT TO INTXN B AND WE WENT TO B1. WE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ 119.9 AROUND INTXN C1 AND MONITORED. TWR CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED OUR ACFT FLT NUMBER TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 25R VIA B1 FULL LENGTH AND RPT THE PRECEDING ACFT IN SIGHT. WE COMPLIED WITH THE POS AND HOLD INSTRUCTION AND ADVISED TWR WE DID NOT HAVE THE PRECEDING ACFT IN SIGHT AND WOULD TAXI TO FULL LENGTH. THIS REQUIRED US TO BACK-TAXI A SHORT WAYS BECAUSE WE WERE ENTERING THE RWY AT B1. AS WE BEGAN TO MOVE ONTO THE RWY; TWR ASKED US IF WE WERE AT B1 FULL LENGTH. THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT SHORTLY AFTER XING THE HOLD SHORT LINES AND WE ADVISED TWR WE WERE AT B1 AND WOULD TAXI TO FULL LENGTH POS. THE TWR CTLR SEEMED CONFUSED BY OUR POS AND RESPONDED AGAIN. THIS TIME OUR COMPANY ACFT AT INTXN B TOOK THE XMISSION AND STARTED TO MOVE ONTO THE RWY; AS WELL. TWR CTLR MADE MORE XMISSIONS AND THE COMPANY ACFT STOPPED; BUT ALSO ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINES. AFTER SEVERAL MORE XMISSIONS BTWN OUR ACFT AND COMPANY ACFT AND THE TWR CTLR; WE WERE FINALLY CLRED FOR TKOF AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS NORMAL. IT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE A TRANSCRIPT OF THE COM BTWN OUR ACFT; COMPANY ACFT; AND THE TWR; TO FIND OUT HOW THE CONFUSION STARTED. AT NO TIME DID THE 2 ACFT GET VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER AND I BELIEVE THE SITUATION WAS HANDLED AS WELL AS POSSIBLE UNDER THE VERY CONFUSING CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.