Narrative:

I was working west departure when air carrier X an E170; departed mem on a 180 degree heading looking to go wbound. The data block did not appear for air carrier X; so I attempted to manually start the data block. My attempt failed and I and the coordinator could not figure out why. At the time; I had crossing aircraft climbing and descending through each others' altitudes; an aircraft deviating for WX that did not appear on my scope; and another aircraft that was willing to fly through the non-depicted WX; that needed to be in trail of the deviating aircraft. During my scan; I saw an arrival aircraft whose call sign was air carrier X. I realized at this point that the arrival aircraft was the reason for my inability to manually tag my departure. The coordinator made several computer entries and my departure tagged up. When this duplicate identify for inbounds and outbounds is a possibility for air carrier X and air carrier Y they amend the departures call signs by adding a letter or subtracting a digit and adding a number so that the call signs are different. Needless to say; this was an unnecessary distraction that took my attention from the separation of aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM CTLR DESCRIBED DATA BLOCK ANOMALY THAT CAUSED UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING W DEP WHEN ACR X AN E170; DEPARTED MEM ON A 180 DEG HDG LOOKING TO GO WBOUND. THE DATA BLOCK DID NOT APPEAR FOR ACR X; SO I ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY START THE DATA BLOCK. MY ATTEMPT FAILED AND I AND THE COORDINATOR COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY. AT THE TIME; I HAD XING ACFT CLBING AND DSNDING THROUGH EACH OTHERS' ALTS; AN ACFT DEVIATING FOR WX THAT DID NOT APPEAR ON MY SCOPE; AND ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS WILLING TO FLY THROUGH THE NON-DEPICTED WX; THAT NEEDED TO BE IN TRAIL OF THE DEVIATING ACFT. DURING MY SCAN; I SAW AN ARR ACFT WHOSE CALL SIGN WAS ACR X. I REALIZED AT THIS POINT THAT THE ARR ACFT WAS THE REASON FOR MY INABILITY TO MANUALLY TAG MY DEP. THE COORDINATOR MADE SEVERAL COMPUTER ENTRIES AND MY DEP TAGGED UP. WHEN THIS DUPLICATE IDENT FOR INBOUNDS AND OUTBOUNDS IS A POSSIBILITY FOR ACR X AND ACR Y THEY AMEND THE DEPS CALL SIGNS BY ADDING A LETTER OR SUBTRACTING A DIGIT AND ADDING A NUMBER SO THAT THE CALL SIGNS ARE DIFFERENT. NEEDLESS TO SAY; THIS WAS AN UNNECESSARY DISTR THAT TOOK MY ATTN FROM THE SEPARATION OF ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.