Narrative:

I flew from mhk to mci to pick up friends returning from their honeymoon. I have flown in and out of mci since 1979 as a commuter captain, as a corporate pilot, and in my own single engine aircraft. I always use a headset to cut out noise and to facilitate understanding of radio xmissions. I taxied to runway 19 at mci after receiving the ATIS and clearance to depart the TCA. I taxied up close and was #1 for departure for runway 19. Tower was also using runway 09 for departures/lndgs. When I called ready I was instructed to hold for landing aircraft. While I was waiting a large commercial carrier taxied up close behind me and called ready to do, adding a snide remark about not being able to taxi on the runway because I was obviously in the way. As the landing aircraft passed in front of me, I expected tower to clear me on to hold (they usually do). I looked out on final and saw landing lights that appeared to be approximately 5 mi (just inside the outer marker). Still nothing however from tower. I'm watching the jet approaching on final and wondering if landing aircraft on runway 09 was delaying clearance for me. I was also thinking if tower was going to clear me he would have to hurry if he was going to get me out in front of the approaching aircraft on final. Then I heard 'blocked cleared for immediate takeoff, maintain runway heading'. That was exactly the clearance I was expecting but the call sign had been blocked so I wanted to see if someone else was going to answer. After a short pause and no response I asked tower, 'tower, was that call for small aircraft X?' tower replied 'affirmative, cleared for immediate takeoff, maintain runway heading'. Since the approaching aircraft on final did not offer much opportunity for further delay, the commercial carrier's impatience (behind me), I advanced the throttle, turned the corner and was on my way down the runway. As I was going through 40 the tower inquired or rather observed that I was on takeoff roll. I responded in the affirmative, realizing, obviously, by their call that the takeoff clearance was not for me. At that point they instructed me to make an immediate takeoff and clear the runway to the right after airborne. You cannot rush a 150 hp small aircraft but I followed their instructions to the best of my ability and cleared the runway. I was near the far end of the runway before the other aircraft touched down so I don't feel a dangerous situation occurred there, or the aircraft would probably have received a go around call. I never felt nervous about departing in front of him and I had been watching him. But the fact is I took off before tower issued a clearance to me. It was a surprise to him when he discovered me on takeoff roll. It was a surprise to me to find out he had not cleared me because I thought I had done everything I could do to be right. I called the supervisor and talked to him. He had not listened to the tapes and felt no need to since he felt I had just blasted off on my own. (Stereotyped image of single engine little airplane is they don't know what they are doing and I wish they would go away). After I told him my side of the story he said he would listen to the tapes and if the situation was as I described, then no further action would be contemplated. He also aid there was another aircraft awaiting takeoff that had 2 of the same digits as my call sign. Although they were not in the same order. I think that is why tower misunderstood my call for clarification. I compromised my normal routine by not reading back the clearance followed by my call sign because at that point I was in a hurry to clear the runway. Regardless, communication failed. Tower was busy. Traffic heavy. Strong desire to keep the flow going and not be in the way or cause delay. Snotty airline captain looking down his nose at 'little airplanes'. Similar call signs. Wise old examiner once said 'no one can rush you except yourself'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA MISIDENTIFIED HIS CALL SIGN TKOF ON ANOTHER SMA ACFT'S CLRNC.

Narrative: I FLEW FROM MHK TO MCI TO PICK UP FRIENDS RETURNING FROM THEIR HONEYMOON. I HAVE FLOWN IN AND OUT OF MCI SINCE 1979 AS A COMMUTER CAPT, AS A CORPORATE PLT, AND IN MY OWN SINGLE ENGINE ACFT. I ALWAYS USE A HEADSET TO CUT OUT NOISE AND TO FACILITATE UNDERSTANDING OF RADIO XMISSIONS. I TAXIED TO RWY 19 AT MCI AFTER RECEIVING THE ATIS AND CLRNC TO DEPART THE TCA. I TAXIED UP CLOSE AND WAS #1 FOR DEP FOR RWY 19. TWR WAS ALSO USING RWY 09 FOR DEPS/LNDGS. WHEN I CALLED READY I WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD FOR LNDG ACFT. WHILE I WAS WAITING A LARGE COMMERCIAL CARRIER TAXIED UP CLOSE BEHIND ME AND CALLED READY TO DO, ADDING A SNIDE REMARK ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO TAXI ON THE RWY BECAUSE I WAS OBVIOUSLY IN THE WAY. AS THE LNDG ACFT PASSED IN FRONT OF ME, I EXPECTED TWR TO CLEAR ME ON TO HOLD (THEY USUALLY DO). I LOOKED OUT ON FINAL AND SAW LNDG LIGHTS THAT APPEARED TO BE APPROX 5 MI (JUST INSIDE THE OUTER MARKER). STILL NOTHING HOWEVER FROM TWR. I'M WATCHING THE JET APCHING ON FINAL AND WONDERING IF LNDG ACFT ON RWY 09 WAS DELAYING CLRNC FOR ME. I WAS ALSO THINKING IF TWR WAS GOING TO CLEAR ME HE WOULD HAVE TO HURRY IF HE WAS GOING TO GET ME OUT IN FRONT OF THE APCHING ACFT ON FINAL. THEN I HEARD 'BLOCKED CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF, MAINTAIN RWY HDG'. THAT WAS EXACTLY THE CLRNC I WAS EXPECTING BUT THE CALL SIGN HAD BEEN BLOCKED SO I WANTED TO SEE IF SOMEONE ELSE WAS GOING TO ANSWER. AFTER A SHORT PAUSE AND NO RESPONSE I ASKED TWR, 'TWR, WAS THAT CALL FOR SMA X?' TWR REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE, CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF, MAINTAIN RWY HDG'. SINCE THE APCHING ACFT ON FINAL DID NOT OFFER MUCH OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER DELAY, THE COMMERCIAL CARRIER'S IMPATIENCE (BEHIND ME), I ADVANCED THE THROTTLE, TURNED THE CORNER AND WAS ON MY WAY DOWN THE RWY. AS I WAS GOING THROUGH 40 THE TWR INQUIRED OR RATHER OBSERVED THAT I WAS ON TKOF ROLL. I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, REALIZING, OBVIOUSLY, BY THEIR CALL THAT THE TKOF CLRNC WAS NOT FOR ME. AT THAT POINT THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TKOF AND CLEAR THE RWY TO THE RIGHT AFTER AIRBORNE. YOU CANNOT RUSH A 150 HP SMA BUT I FOLLOWED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND CLRED THE RWY. I WAS NEAR THE FAR END OF THE RWY BEFORE THE OTHER ACFT TOUCHED DOWN SO I DON'T FEEL A DANGEROUS SITUATION OCCURRED THERE, OR THE ACFT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE RECEIVED A GO AROUND CALL. I NEVER FELT NERVOUS ABOUT DEPARTING IN FRONT OF HIM AND I HAD BEEN WATCHING HIM. BUT THE FACT IS I TOOK OFF BEFORE TWR ISSUED A CLRNC TO ME. IT WAS A SURPRISE TO HIM WHEN HE DISCOVERED ME ON TKOF ROLL. IT WAS A SURPRISE TO ME TO FIND OUT HE HAD NOT CLRED ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT I HAD DONE EVERYTHING I COULD DO TO BE RIGHT. I CALLED THE SUPVR AND TALKED TO HIM. HE HAD NOT LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND FELT NO NEED TO SINCE HE FELT I HAD JUST BLASTED OFF ON MY OWN. (STEREOTYPED IMAGE OF SINGLE ENGINE LITTLE AIRPLANE IS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND I WISH THEY WOULD GO AWAY). AFTER I TOLD HIM MY SIDE OF THE STORY HE SAID HE WOULD LISTEN TO THE TAPES AND IF THE SITUATION WAS AS I DESCRIBED, THEN NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE CONTEMPLATED. HE ALSO AID THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT AWAITING TKOF THAT HAD 2 OF THE SAME DIGITS AS MY CALL SIGN. ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NOT IN THE SAME ORDER. I THINK THAT IS WHY TWR MISUNDERSTOOD MY CALL FOR CLARIFICATION. I COMPROMISED MY NORMAL ROUTINE BY NOT READING BACK THE CLRNC FOLLOWED BY MY CALL SIGN BECAUSE AT THAT POINT I WAS IN A HURRY TO CLEAR THE RWY. REGARDLESS, COM FAILED. TWR WAS BUSY. TFC HEAVY. STRONG DESIRE TO KEEP THE FLOW GOING AND NOT BE IN THE WAY OR CAUSE DELAY. SNOTTY AIRLINE CAPT LOOKING DOWN HIS NOSE AT 'LITTLE AIRPLANES'. SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. WISE OLD EXAMINER ONCE SAID 'NO ONE CAN RUSH YOU EXCEPT YOURSELF'.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.